Malaysian police used batons and water cannons yesterday to disperse hundreds of protesters at Kuala Lumpur's iconic Twin Towers, arresting more than 20 and beating several as stunned shoppers looked on.
Some 400 people, including trade unionists, opposition parties and non-government organizations, had gathered at an upmarket shopping mall at the Twin Towers for the latest in a series of rallies against fuel price rises since the government sharply raised prices on Feb. 28.
The protesters were met by over 400 police, including officers with dogs and on horseback.
PHOTO: EPA
Police in riot gear wielding batons and rifles were also seen in formation, while two water cannon trucks stood ready.
Shouting anti-government slogans and holding floating black balloons to symbolize oil and inflation, the protesters demanded that the government reverse the price increases.
Limit
"When the petrol price goes up, all our essential goods go up," said K. Brabakarun, a vice president from the Malaysian Trades Union Congress, the main protest organizer.
"There's a limit. Workers can't afford a price increase against their salaries so we are telling the government," he said.
The trade union and other organizations will deliver a memorandum to Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi today over the issue, Brabakarun said.
The rise has sparked public anger. Abdullah's administration has pleaded for public understanding, citing high global oil prices.
Defiant
Crowd numbers at the rallies during the month have been dropping, but protesters have become increasingly defiant.
Chaotic scenes ensued as the demonstrators followed a police call to disperse, but then marched further down the street to continue the rally before heading back to the Twin Towers.
Police then used a water cannon to disperse demonstrators, who scrambled across a paved forecourt in front of the towers to continue their rally.
For over two hours protesters repeatedly dispersed to mingle with onlookers.
However, they later gathered again in small groups near the towers only to be chased by police.
Police finally pointed a water cannon at shocked shoppers and tourists outside the Twin Towers and at an exclusive mall across the street to clear the roads, before the protest petered out.
Kicked and beaten
Several protesters were seen being beaten and kicked by police before being handcuffed and arrested.
Deputy district police chief Rodzi Ismail said more than 20 had been arrested. However, police were still confirming the number of arrests.
A leader in the opposition Islamic PAS party, Hatta Ramli, and two of his daughters were among those arrested.
"What the police have done today is to show the government is desperate to disperse all these forms of demonstrations so we must go on to fight," said Zulkifli Ahmad, an Islamic PAS official.
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
A documentary whose main subject, 25-year-old photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza weeks before it premiered at Cannes stunned viewers into silence at the festival on Thursday. As the cinema lights came back on, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi held up an image of the young Palestinian woman killed with younger siblings on April 16, and encouraged the audience to stand up and clap to pay tribute. “To kill a child, to kill a photographer is unacceptable,” Farsi said. “There are still children to save. It must be done fast,” the exiled Iranian filmmaker added. With Israel
Africa has established the continent’s first space agency to boost Earth observation and data sharing at a time when a more hostile global context is limiting the availability of climate and weather information. The African Space Agency opened its doors last month under the umbrella of the African Union and is headquartered in Cairo. The new organization, which is still being set up and hiring people in key positions, is to coordinate existing national space programs. It aims to improve the continent’s space infrastructure by launching satellites, setting up weather stations and making sure data can be shared across
RSS