The Clean-Up Protest

Headed into the city Saturday morning to make a point, with a light hangover.

Unlike the last protest, we didnt have to go in a night earlier, as there was no city lockdown. Cops finally realized how futile and dumb dat is.

Trains were packed

Walked in from Central Market station via back streets. A bunch of Greenies were coming from the opposite direction

Dined on pork n beers for d long day

While we were eating in Chinatown, as we were early, there was a huge roar outside, along Jln Bandar.

To the right...

To the left

The Chinatown sector had started their march to the rendezvous. And they kept pouring. For about 15 minutes. Probably 15,000 or more  in this group i reckon.

We (a group of 7) walked out soon after, and made our way through some back roads, headed to Merdeka Square.

Full n ready

We went from Chinatown, to CM, to Tun Perak by Masjid Jamek

There was a huge crowd on Tun Perak. From the junction of Merdeka Square all the way to Puduraya and beyond, all 4 lanes were choked with people. Maybe 50,000 here. Further than the eye could see.

This turned out to be the biggest, and quite a hardcore group later.

Everyone just chilled, listened to speeches, chanted, and some sat. We found some space to chill on Jln Melayu, n put on some reggae tunes.

After about an hour, we stood up and our small group were discussing our next course of action, such as happy hours, when i felt a familiar taste in my eyes.

“I think it’s gas.” i said. Weird, cos there was no sign of trouble, and bored people were about to leave. In fact, some had left as we were told to do so about 10 minutes beforehand.

The music stopped.

I moved up to locate the source, as everybody was still chillin n there was no gas visible, nor were there any sounds. A few seconds later, the crowd rushed in our direction, coughing and crying. The gas had kicked in, and from where we weren’t sure.

Anyway, many were first timers n panicked, squeezing into Jln Melayu. It got messy. They were trying to get away, but it was too congested. They panicked even more. The gas really started to kick-in.

Then we heard there was no exit on Jln Melayu! Some climbed over the railing and jumped onto the riverbank. Which was risky.

Stretcher crew n medics from Civil Defence. There were many ambulances in action from Red Crescent speeding around. Good job guys

I rounded d crew n decided d safest option was to head against d crowd, towards d gas, back to Tun Perak. Just before we got there, several gas canisters landed in front of us. Dat was a surprise, coz we never saw any riot police / FRU.

We decided to dash thru them anyway, and got onto Tun Perak, rejoining the main group at Jamek . It was a relief.

Some so-called protestors disappeared and went home crying after the first taste of gas. Haha. Amateurs. But at least they showed.

Mask helped a little, but its d eyes that get hit

From then, it was non-stop gas. The FRU would fire, we would suffer / throw canisters back / wash-out the eyes, then regroup. Many times. The Tun Perak group still stretched all d way to Pudu, but where we hung was d frontline at Jamek.

Everyone helped each other by providing water, salt or antacid-water mix. They gassed us for an hour, but we were goin nowhere. Then they sent in d water gun. Bad news.

Good news? A guy who got drenched shouted “Air biasa!!”. We laughed at the ‘fire truck’ and moved forward again. They were outta chemicals.

We weren’t really doing anything when we were attacked, hence we had no reason to leave when ordered by the cops.

Anyway they probably broke the law by attacking places other than Merdeka Square.

Squeezed in one posed shot, with BBQ goin on @ the Jamek LRT

After countless canisters, they sent in a large arresting team, which came charging with cable-ties. We dispersed.

A few hardcore guys again regrouped at Jamek, battling till 6pm.

Back to Chinatown, and we spotted a guys selling ice cold beers. Grabbed a few. Soon, i spotted gas. A small group were being harassed by the FRU. We joined them.  Some tourists too. Showed the FRU countless ‘affectionate’ signs after they fired horizontally at us.

Satisfied, we finally got d train back.

There were quite  a few posers at d event, posing n taking pictures at every opportunity, like it was some sorta fuckin bloggers event or sumtin.

Home. And thirsty!

Anway, hit 42 East for drinks around 6pm. Got gassed so much my eyes were still tearing a little, 2 hours later. The other souvenir i got was a gas canister. Its quite retarded to fire one of those directly at people. Someone who found the shell said it was made in Israel. Great.

Trample all over us, why dont u

All in all, an exciting day.

Somehow had beers on three separate occasions that day.

Problem was, many SB (Special Branch) were disguised as protestors (as seen via many photographic evidence), and they were the main trouble-makers, trashing stuff, beating uniformed cops n shit.

D cop on d right sure looks like d protestor on d left

D Bangla cop sure looks like d protestor who's kickin a traffic cop. Real scumbags eh

Awww, cant take your own gas? The macho pig from the first picture is actually a little babyyy. Wail away boy

Checkit - there were even phone jammers to disable our communication. Where are we, Libya??

Crowd this year were younger and older. Also, in wheelchairs, one-legged, blind, makciks, grandpas, etc

The police also beat-up many Press photographers – who were clearly on the job. Dats as ridiculous as riot police beating regular cops coz they were there. They also deleted photos / stole Press cameras.

When the law enforcers regularly break d law, dont expect regular citizens to respect the law. The cops also removed their badge numbers!

If there was a little ‘rioting’, my guess its by the crazy cops, not the cool protestors.

Anyway, check dis shit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SM5E7y6tJRc

Uniformed mob!

And this:

This video will definitely cross half a million views. Good.

I hope the next protest will be against the goddam pigs, who were excessive n uncivilized. I’ll be there.

At least, the gas cleared my hangover and dead brain cells.

 

Brain damage from CS gas: OK la, still coherent

Share

@klroadblock explodes

Twitter user-generated network @klroadblock is really growing. When i first featured them last year, there were 2,285 followers. Today it has 35,160!

It sometimes has some irrelevant stuff tho. Traffic jams? Football?? Comon! Focus people, focus.

Anyway, phenomenal growth. Too bad for the pigs.

Good job guys. Keep posting up them roadblock locations.

Share

Street Party a success

KL’s biggest street party on Saturday was a riot. Well, not literally.

It was a peaceful show of all our frustrations. A demand for our rights and freedoms as citizens. And as humans born free.

The stupid pigs shutdown KL on Saturday, hoping in vain to stop the demo, so i decided to screw ’em by goin there by Friday night with Eddy, Ben, my bro, Sarge and Khang.

Some of d gear

I pack my state and country flags, a face scarf, salt water, antacid (for tear gas), a bottle of Johnnie Walker Red Label, yellow balloons and water colours.

Headed to Chinatown

OUR fuckin city

Managed to sightsee. And party.

Kick-ass beef noodles

Bustling

Minummm..

And more

Thankfully the Long Island pitchers at Reggae Bar didnt give us a hangover. We crash at a hole above the bar, and are up around 10am. I walk out to do a recce with ma man the Sarge. All the Chinatown traders are shut. Paranoid pricks.

The city is weird. It’s quiet. Too quiet.

There are no sounds of vehicles. The roads are deserted.

But i notice that the people who are around aren’t regular folk. I can usually spot the goddam protester-types.

They start to stream into Chinatown, mostly from the CM LRT station, as it’s a good access to the Merdeka Stadium, the rendezvous. I head towards the stadium, and see it’s still quiet. A couple of uncles / grandads who came from Klang tell us a group will march from the National Mosque. They too spent Friday nite in d city. I would bump into them again later, handing out first-aid medicine in the thick of the demo.

Hardcore uncles.

So we have brunch, then walk towards the National Mosque. Cops are crawling all over Central Market, blocking our route. So we hit the stadium. Pigs had sealed it off.

They’re all over the place. Police vehicles of all shapes and colours are out in force. Jeeps, patrol cars, patrol bikes, dirt bikes, equipment trucks, vans, personnel trucks, tow trucks, water cannons and helicopters. Fuckin stupid overkill.

Razor wire. What's this, a war?

I though the stadium belonged to the people. Not anymore.

We head back to Chinatown, and hear a roar from somewhere. Excitement and nerves are heightened.

We then see a group marching thru Chinatown from Central Market, and quickly join them. Before we knew it, we had taken the streets there. And it’s quite a party! We start to blow our balloons and throw them around.

March!

We form a bigger group at Maybank, Jln Tun Perak, lead by member of Parliamant Dr Hatta Ramli. This would evolve into the legendary and defiant Pudu / Tung Shin crew

With Henry

According to calculations, the crowd at this spot is 31,800.

Dr Hatta Ramli (member of Parliament) is now on the hailer, giving a speech and inspiring the crowd. Dark clouds meant rain was coming soon, and it starts to drizzle.

Then suddenly, the riot police move in with chemical spray and tear gas. The crowd breaks into two, some towards Chinatown, some Pudu.

It was pandamonium. I guess there were many first-timers who panicked for no reason, and ran, stumbling on each other. Instead of walking away swiflty, they try to run into the crowd, creating more problems. Its best not to run if it’s a large crowd. You could cause a stampede.

We have to move away. Our eyes, noses, lungs, faces sting. My guys are scattered all over the place.

Khang has it bad. I spray antacid into his eyes n face, and we regroup on Jln Pudu, by Puduraya.

Man, what a fuckin rush.

Being the one with several demo experiences, i was sorta d team leader, and responsible for my crew. But occasionally, it’s every man for himself for a few seconds or minutes. So long as they have a buddy with them. Like the diving buddy system, your buddy looks out for u.

The showdown at Pudu –

We get gassed a few more times. Some guys manage to throw a few canisters back at the dogs.

I been involved in shit like this before, but the chemical from the tear gas, and water cannon especially was extremely strong. U didnt even have to be close to suffer the effects.

Khang, like many in this round, were CS-gas virgins. Not anymore.

We were right on ground zero now.

A Pak Cik walking past stares at us, then turns back to talk to us. He says “You people are really brave nowadays. Keep it up! We need to be brave!” I replied, “Yea, the previous generation weren’t brave, that’s why we’re in this mess.” He agrees, shakes all our hands and disappears into the crowd again.

A double waste of Police resources, aka our money

Awaiting further instructions, Jln Pudu

There are thousands of us in this Pudu group. The pigs then approach from the other side. We are boxed in. And in this area, there are no roads or side streets to head to.

Shit dont look good.

They’re Police sirens wailing all over the city, Police helicopters buzzing all over the place, aroma of gas in the air, riot police all over the place and moving closer, dark skies, cops barking orders at us and at their comrades through loudhailers, a drizzle coming down… it was a surreal atmosphere.

It was appropriate, and we took it all in.

Then, to add to this scenario, it rains. Heavily. We didnt care. Nobody moves.

A guy shouts “Hujan bersih”

Funny thing is, altho i offered raincoats, nobody wanted any. I guess at times like these, such things dont matter.

I walk around into a side street and see a little garage with people in it. It seemed like an impromptu refuge station. There were people recovering from the gas, some lookin really bad, with others helping them.

Some looked shell-shocked.

Young, old, etc. A pak cik helping his wife, and comforting her, some students helping another, others cleaning their eyes. The rain continued to pour down.

I stood there for awhile, glancing at all the victims. It was quite an emotional scene. It got me thinking – why dahell does this have to come down to this shit? Why do the police treat its citizens this way?

Defiance

After a coupla minutes watching d scene, I leave them and walk back out. And get soaked.

Some protesters sit on the road, and make a line facing the FRU. One lone guy sits way up front, between our line and the pig’s line, with his hands out, willing to be cuffed. Respect.

They get gassed of course. Arrests are made. We try to get out of this trap by heading to a church, but the back exit is closed.

The cops squeeze us in closer, so we’re forced into the grounds of Tung Shin Hospital. Cops start to move closer. People begin looking for a way out back. There’s none.

We’re stuck in the hospital grounds, with red helmets at the gates.

I knew there was an old back road, parallel to Jln Pudu. I manage to round up my team, and we get thru a fence to this escape route.

Outta there!

We pass a 90-year-old mansion built in 1919 where i threw a Halloween rave once. Haha. That’s how i knew of this route.

Party spot

(I later saw a video of how about 50 cops shouted and charged into the hospital grounds where people were trapped, all carrying cuffs. They gassed the hospital first. Many got arrested. Men who formed a human chain around female students were assaulted.

My real big regret is i didnt go back there to help them via this escape route. I assumed they knew, coz it was d only visible exit. I guess they never thought d hospital wd be attacked, which is illegal even in a fuckin war!)

We bump into a group from Kg Baru goin the other way. We continue along Raja Chulan, planning to hit Chinatown again.

There’re several real huge groups that day. Besides Pudu, there were large posses in Jln Melaka / Masjid India, Sentral, KLCC, Central Market, Sogo, Chinatown, and Jln Hang Jebat.

A group that looked liked they’d seen action appear from Jln Ampang, also going the same direction, so we join in. It’s back to Chinatown. This time, we’re right at the front of a group that march and chant all d way to the stadium area.

It was intense. And powerful.

And from nowhere, the group gets bigger, and bigger, and bigger. When i look back, it’s a sea of people!

And they just kept comin

It was amazing.

A great mix of all ethnic groups, united by the same desire. And a surprising mix of ages. There’re 80-year-olds, people in wheelchairs and one-legged guys with crutches. Lots of university students too.

I’d say females made up at least 20% of the people.

We gather at the stadium’s access road till our leaders said that we’ve done what we could, it was time to head to our homes. So we did.

And contrary to the goddam liar Malaysia’s chief of police, tear gas was fired all over KL, and not ‘strictly Pudu’ as he claimed. They gassed Central Market till it looked like it was a BBQ. As well as KLCC, Sentral, Masjid India and Merdeka Square.

There were some really brave souls, who stood in front of our lines, and made a solo stand against the police line.

Unfortunately there was one fatality. The first martyr in this quest against tyranny. All our respects to you, Pak Cik Baharuddin. We will ensure your death is not in vain.

(Pic from pinkturtle2.wordpress.com. At this point, its unconfirmed if this is him, or another protester who was hurt, Pudu). According to his brother, they asked the police to help send him to hospital but they refused, so they waited for one-and-a-half hours before the van came. His death is more blood on the government's hands

(Pic from selatanonline.net) Moments before he collapsed - the man saying a Muslim prayer, on a hailer held up by a Chinese Malaysian. THAT'S unity

There was some use of excessive force as well as police brutality during and even before the event.

We disperse at abt 4pm. Fuckin cops shut the CM and Sentral LRT, so we go on foot to Brickfields to get a cab.

This final ‘death march’ is difficult, and we move slow. We were on our feet since morning, being chased, drenched, gassed, with not much food or water. And we’re still wet from the rain. Our shoes are soggy and heavy.

Ghost town. KTM / Jln Bangsar

We pass one of our attack vehicles.

Giant chemical-water-gun

Khang making his opinion clear

By the time we walk to Sentral, our legs are almost dead.

Break

And check out this great video, done within 24 hours of the event. Amazingly, all footage is from yesterday’s protest, including the police helicopter scene.

It was a great day for all of us. We made our opinions clear as day, that we dont take shit lying down. Well, maybe we’ll lie down much later.

In fact, i could this every week. It was quite a good shot of adrenalin for me. The nervousness, excitement and danger is awesome.

Now, not just this entire country knows about the problems with our elections.

It was shocking that despite headlines screaming “KL OFF LIMITS” and “STAY AWAY” (The Star a.k.a. UMNO Newsletter), all the road blocks, crazy threats, closing KL down, banning buses from other states, illegal arrests, hiring thugs, shutting down the rail system, and intimidating citizens, all these people still made it downtown. Salute!

Bob! Noooo....

The Star’s writer Baradan even said “It would indeed take a really determined person to run the gauntlet of restrictions and still make it to the stadium by 2pm, for a rally that is in great doubt considering all the police actions to stop it from taking place.”

Haha! Fuckyaalllll… You underestimate people power, dummy.

Estimates using satellite images and calculations put the number of people who made it at about 47,500.

The friendship and bond between total strangers that day were amazing. And this is the perfect example of how a peaceful march can be done, despite claims to the contrary and the artificially-created paranoia. Bravo to the organizers and all participants.

A friend decided he had to attend the event, so he bought a bicycle the same day n cycled in from PJ! U da man, Alet.

We stood up against the FULL government machinery and their weapons, including the distorted mainstream media. (Boycott here). If they think that gas and batons and punches can stop our will, they need to stop thinking. The people, united, will never be defeated.

The people have such great spirit. Power to the People!

The country belongs to the people, not the government.

Brain damage: Minimal. Tear gas wont kill your ass.

Damage to the government: Pretty damn good

Share

Drinks, dirty cops & roadblocks

Cops here are generally dirty, at all levels, even way up high (or maybe especially). That’s the presumption. The cops on the street are no different. But u do normally have a choice – bribe, or accept the fine/arrest. As far as possible, take the fine.

The other option is doing the designated driver (and designated drunk) thing.

Fortunately, i havent offered a bribe for years. I hope to keep it that way.

Anyway, some of ’em are crooks who con you that you’re breakin d law, even when u aren’t. Thats real fucked-up. Licensed thugs.

It happened to a good buddy of mine last month. He had a coupla drinks (just 4 pints of Guinness over three hours), and was driving home from Sri Hartamas, when he encountered a block. The cops ask to check his breath for DUI.

Dude complies and blows into the breathalyzer. The reading shows red. He asks for the other breathalyzer, the one that shows a proper reading. He blows and scores a 50, ie .005%. Which means he passed, as it was well under the 80 limit.

The pigs say he failed, saying that the unit’s reading of 50 meant he was over the limit by 50, coz the unit’s ‘start level’ is 8o. 50 is how much you’re over the limit.

So 50+80 = 130. Haha! What a fucking stupid argument.

Obviously my buddy disputes this. He calls me up (while i’m clubbing!) and asks for advise. I say (or rather yell over the music) “they’re talkin shit. Nevermind! Tell them OK, and to issue you a ticket for drink-driving. So u can nail them later for talking crap.”

They then say they need to confirm the test by taking him back to the station, and do a blood test blah blah blah. He asks them whether he is under arrest, and the punks say no. Which meant he could leave, but they say they cant allow him to drive. One pig says he’ll drive his car to the station for him.

To cut the shit short and spare him further tests and complications, he pays them off.

Fuckers. Extorting the public and making their own law. If they can shoot dead unarmed 14-year-olds, what’s a little extortion?

The legal is made illegal, and the illegal becomes legal. Courtesy of none other than the ‘law enforcers’.

I repeat what i said last month. Drink-driving is allowed, unless ur over the limit. To know the limit, BAC details, etc, u can refer to How to Drink & Drive.

Also, to know your rights when cops try to jerk you, read the Red Book. It’s a must-read brochure that will take you 10 minutes and give you some leverage in such situations. Most people dont realize that the porkies can only ask you to go with them if ur under arrest. Otherwise, u are doin them a favour by not leaving.

And to conduct an arrest, they need to fulfill certain conditions.

Walking away is a last resort tho.

My technique is to be as civil and reasonable as possible (until i lose my patience that is). Generally, if ur nice to them, there’s a good chance u’ll get away without paying them or a fine. (I once breathalyzed a high-score of 160 (personal best) and got away.) But if that dont work, know and exercise your rights.

Related Posts with Thumbnails
Share