BERSIH!

Whatta day!! If you were expecting a cool "Walk for Justice"-type scene, you were in for a big surprise!! It was no walk in the park.
Be we made it!

- 40,000 people
- 4000 Police - Dataran Merdeka was sealed off by a wall of Policemen.
- Police fired water cannons and tear gas at Masjid Jamek.
- Roadblocks on ALL roads leading into KL.
- 29 people arrested, 24 released
- The cops could not stop 40,000 people from marching from KL city centre to the Istana Negara to hand over the memorandum to the Agong.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

On the walk back from the Istana, a few yellow shirted persons were heard yelling at the wall of policemen :
"Wey! Lu sudah kalah-laaaa!! Baik lu baaalik aje lah!!!"

THAT, MY FRIENDS, WOULD SUM UP THE DAY!

Malaysiakini pix:
http://photopages.malaysiakini.com/bersih_rally

The scene outside Istana Negara:

See Malaysiakini.tv video - "Chaos at Masjid Jamek"

Al Jazeera video- "Defiant Malaysian Protestors Face Tear Gas"

Pix taken by me:
http://picasaweb.google.com/publico.probono/BERSIHRALLY10NOV2007
(then click "Slideshow")

More pix and stories on at The People's Parliament blog

Excerpts of blow-by-blow accounts from Malaysiakini

2.25pm: Crowd has increased to 2,000 in Masjid Jamek area. Water cannon fired several times. Crowd inside Masjid India and a bank opposite the mosque were hit. Protesters are seeking refuge inside the mosque and Masjid Jamek LRT station.

2.39pm: The police in Masjid Jamek area begin firing several canisters of tear gas at the crowd in addition to discharging chemical-laced water. At least, four rounds of tear gas have been fired.

2.40pm: 500 marchers from Pasar Seni are met by 100 riot police about 50 metres from Dataran Merdeka. There are minor clashes but police have formed two lines of barricades, resulting in a stand-off.

2.50pm: 10,000 who are at the Masjid Negara began marching to Istana Negara. They split into two groups using two different routes.

3pm: The crowd, now grown to about 40,000, reached about 300 metres from Istana Negara. PAS president Hadi Awang is leading them. Former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim is due to arrive. There are people stretching over half a kilometre along the highway.

4pm: The Bersih delegation led by Anwar Ibrahim handed the memorandum to the King's representative at the gate of the Istana Negara. Anwar is accompanied by PAS' Hadi Awang and Nasharuddin Mat Isa and DAP's Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng. The organisers are asking the 40,000-strong crowd to disperse. Nasharuddin describes the event as a resounding success.

Did you notice how the Sunday NST spun the story?
They reported 4,000 intead of 40,000 people and claimed 245 were arrested instead of 29.
Check out this shit:
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/National/2081292/Article/index_html

The Star's report was no better. Check out their shit:
Teargas and water cannons used on illegal assembly, 245 held
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/11/nation/19443759&sec=nation
"We exercised restraint in our approach and only resorted to using teargas and water cannons to disperse the gathering," (Insp Gen of Police) Musa (Hassan) said.

[Excercised restraint by ONLY using water cannons and tear gas?? ONLY?? ONLY??? So, how may I ask, would you 'react in wild abandon'?]

The Star online video was headlined "Police break up march"
[but we managed to march all the way to the Istana - so when did the cops "break up march"? After we went home?]

Excerpts from another Star piece of shit:
"DPM: Don't incite racial disharmony"
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/11/nation/20071111203543&sec=nation
Do not incite disunity or racial disharmony because once ignited, it will be difficult to douse, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. 

He said unity, mutual understanding and respect among the different races was achieved through the struggles of the country's forefathers and should be defended by all. 
.....
[Hello ... idiot ... we were "inciting" action for a clean and fair ELECTIONS - something which you really fear, don't you?]

Najib said Malaysians need not go to the streets to voice their dissent, as street demonstrations were not part of the Malaysian culture.
[Well, they are now ... idiot.]

Excerpts NST report 12 Nov 07:
Suhakam: Police did not resort to violence
Police contained the illegal demonstration in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday professionally and managed to avoid any untoward incident, Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) commissioner Datuk N. Siva Subramaniam said yesterday.

Siva Subraminiam was at the rally in the city centre to monitor police conduct. He found that police did not use violence to control the crowds.

"I saw that the police did not even use their batons to disperse the crowd. So if there is any allegation of police brutality, it would not be true.

Excerpts Malaysiakini report 12 Nov 07:
The Bersih organisers also said that at least seven people were beaten and kicked by police and that some needed hospital treatment including one man whose leg was broken.
...
"Seven people were injured by the police and one suffered a severe injury ... One person said he was handcuffed and had already fallen to the ground when he was kicked in the head."

[Siva Subramaniam needs a kick in the head...]

More shit from The Star.
This time a statement from Pak (don't disturb me, I'm sleeping) Lah:
"PM: Don't drag Royalty into politics"
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/11/nation/20071111141403&sec=nation
Excerpt:
The illegal assembly in Kuala Lumpur yesterday was an attempt by the Opposition to drag royalty into their politics, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. 

[Hello ... wake up lah ... and read the Constitution (for once)]

Fed Consti. Art.114.  Constitution of Election Commission.
(1) The Election Commission shall be appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong after consultation with the Conference of Rulers, and shall consist of a chairman, a deputy chairman and five other members.
[Am. Act A1130]

(2) In appointing members of the Election Commission the Yang di- Pertuan Agong shall have regard to the importance of securing an Election Commission which enjoys public confidence.

Fed Consti Art 32(8):
Nothing ... shall prevent the Yang di-Pertuan Agong exercising as Ruler of his State any power vested in him either alone or in conjunction with any other authority -
(a) to amend the Constitution of the State;

DAULAT TUANKU!!!

POWER TO THE PEOPLE, RIGHT ON!!!