Defiant Protest Police warnings fail to deter KL antiwar protest
by Ang Hiok Gai
A day earlier, Kuala Lumpur CID Chief Kamaruddin Mat Desa issued a stern warning to the Malaysian public against taking part in the peaceful protest against the US-led war on Iraq in front of the US embassy.
Bernama quoted Kamaruddin as saying, �We will deploy our men at the embassy and we will not hesitate to take action if the organisers of the gathering go ahead with their plan.�
Despite the harsh police warning, about 3,000 people thronged the front of the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur and around 300 showed up at Komtar in Penang.
I joined the demonstration in Kuala Lumpur. Before eleven that morning when there was no sign of riot police, dozens of peace activists had already lined up right in front of the embassy parading their banners, placards and posters in the various languages as well as carrying flags of Malaysia, Iraq, keADILan, PAS, Parti Socialis Malaysia and Parti Rakyat Malaysia.
An incessant stream of peace-lovers kept flocking to join in the anti-war protest. In no time, the crowd swelled to hundreds and finally thousands. The atmosphere then was like a carnival with the beating of drums, chanting of slogans, singing of songs and motorists� honking of support, reminding me of those demonstrations I took part in Hyde Park many years ago.
I was distributing the joint PRM-keADILan anti-war statement in high spirits on seeing so many peace-loving people who were not easily scared off by the unwarranted police warning.
Riot Police
About half an hour later, the riot police arrived. We were then chased away as if we were about to tear down the US embassy. We complied and moved orderly over to the other side of the road.
Police personnel armed with shields and batons quickly formed a barricade and put up a show of protecting the embassy. If we were indeed a bunch of violent protesters, the police action would have been too late to save it. By then, there was already a big crowd.
The demonstration was organised by the Coalition Against the War, Malaysia as part of a global protest launched the same day in more than 600 cities worldwide. The coalition comprises non-governmental organisations and opposition political parties, including Student Groups DEMA, Food Not Bombs, SUARAM, JIM, HAKAM, CDC, Alaigal, Sahabat Wanita, WDC, PSM, keADILan, PAS, DAP and PRM.
It is heartening to witness Malaysians of all races coming together with a group of foreigners demonstrating at the embassy to show solidarity with the Iraqi people against the imminent war on Iraq. It is great that peace-loving Malaysians have overcome their barriers of languages and religions and put aside their differences to stand up united for peace and humanity.
They chanted anti-war slogans in English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil. A group of Chinese Malaysian students chanted, �Wo Men Bu Yao Zhan Zheng� (We don�t want war). The Malay and Indian Malaysian peace activists picked up the slogan happily. The Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and believers of other faiths were able to stand up together and be counted at the US embassy. The spirit of national unity was felt there and then.
If not because of the impending NAM summit and because it was a part of the global anti-war demonstration, would the police have tolerated the anti-war demonstration outside the US embassy that morning? Since when have the police begun to show respect for the right of people to peaceful assembly as enshrined in the Malaysian Constitution? On many occasions, the police high-handedly and violently dispersed well-meaning peaceful assemblies.
It was not without any police harassment that morning, as recounted by the organisers. At any rate, we are glad that we successfully and peacefully registered our protest against war and our love for peace and justice outside the US embassy that morning.
If the police respect our constitutional right to peaceful demonstration, there is no question of our not fully cooperating with them.
Another Protest
After the leaders had finished their speeches and the anti-war declaration, hundreds proceeded to the KLCC to continue the anti-war demonstration.
I happened to be part of that crowd walking peacefully and slowly towards the KLCC. As we were approaching the KLCC fountain, the police personnel tried to block our way.
A keADILan members and I were a few yards ahead of the anti-war procession. A policeman approached us and wanted to take away our placards. We walked away in different directions.
On seeing a group of policemen coming at me, I turned back, held fast onto the placard with the words �No War� artistically drawn on it and walked towards the anti-war procession. I could hear the policemen shouting at me from behind.
I felt relieved when I was back with the procession. When the policemen came at us from different directions, we sat down on the grass ground. And there, we began another session of protest. We chanted slogans, sang songs, recited poems and made short speeches. Minutes later, we heard the police siren and the riot police came. We were not frightened by the presence of riot police and kept on protesting until about 1pm before leaving.
In that evening, Dr Mahathir Mohamad was shown on TV news saying he was against demonstration but grudgingly acknowledging and expressing his support for the global anti-war rallies. Sensing the nod from Dr Mahathir, glimpses of footage of that morning demonstration were also shown.
We are proud that we have overcome our fear and exercised our right to peacefully assemble outside the US embassy and the KLCC to show our love for peace and hatred for war. Definitely, we are also proud to be associated with the biggest and broadest anti-war alliances around the globe.
Nonetheless, it is a shame that we could not have the peace of mind to protest against war and for peace in Malaysia in unison with our counterparts worldwide.
Peace, democracy and justice go hand in hand. Only an undemocratic and dictatorial regime would constantly usurp the people�s constitutional right to peaceful assembly. Political rallies have been banned by the undemocratic BN regime. The police have even obstructed peaceful indoor gatherings.
The struggle for peace is the struggle for democracy and justice as well.
Now e-mail us and tell us what you think.
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