A Day at the Demonstrations

And as a follow up from the last post, these pics from a demonstration at KLCC, which was the main reason I was there two Saturdays ago (26 January). These folks apparently are from a group who call themselves Protes, and were there to protest (what else?) the impending price increases of various essential items. While I don't exactly agree with them in turning Malaysia into a welfare state, what I disagree with more is the way the cops handled the people there. It seems they are adopting a new tactic when it comes to breaking up protests and demos - arrest and detain the people the moment they arrive. Quick and simple ain't it? No waste of time, no dissenting voices to be heard, a day's job done in half an hour. And a stamp of approval from PM Badawi's autocratic administration.

Early on, with not much action. So time for some spotting...

Some Unit Amal PAS guys arriving at the scene.

Cops have been there since I morning, I believe.

And the reporters. Yours truly joined the party and got mistaken for one too...

At the entrance of one of those police trucks they use to haul away protesters.

Part of the police presence. Ironically, I've never felt safer in my life.

The cops came fully equipped.

The first arrests were made as soon as the crowd swelled.

Cops at the side entrance of Suria KLCC too, cos they closed the main entrance. The idiots.

Some Zulkarnain guy, whom I understand is KL police chief or something like that

Ginie Lim of the PKR, from the wrong side of a police truck.

Then the cops formed a barricade of sorts.

And tempers flared.

There was a heavy presence of Indians too. Note the Parti Sosialis Malaysia button badge.

Police surrounding some of the protesters after one of the officers gave a really stern (and loud) order not to allow them near Suria KLCC.

Dr Hatta Ramli of PAS

More chaos as cops try to arrest the protesters...

...and haul them into these to be taken away.

An Indian woman fainted, apparently after policemen shoved her into a street lamp.

FRU vehicles on standby.

The police heli still buzzed over.

For whom does the bell toll?

Arrests, arrests and more arrests.

All of them ending up in the trucks, and the trucks waiting to be filled before speeding away to Bukit Aman.

They look like they're used to it though.

And I saw this on my way back via the LRT. Ironic isn't it?

My verdict: It's disgusting. Just plain disgusting. Seeing the people's voices silenced like that just makes me wanna puke. And I hate to parrot the lines of many opposition figures, but where were the cops when our kids were kidnapped, our handbags snatched and our motorbikes stolen? None? Well now you know where they are - doing the bidding of their political masters.