National laureate A. Samad Said recites a poem in Kuala Lumpur
KUALA LUMPUR: Despite earlier warnings of crackdowns by the police on #KitaLawan rallies, Saturday’s gathering ended peacefully with a carnival-like atmosphere.
Both police and protesters lauded each other's cooperation and restraint during the three-hour rally, which ended on Jalan Ampang - just a few metres shy of their intended final destination of KLCC.
The pro-Opposition rally of some 1,000 people began gathering around Sogo, Dataran Merdeka, Masjid Jamek and the PAS headquarters in Jalan Raja Laut before marching towards KLCC at 4pm.
The group's plan to march to KLCC raised speculations that they intended to gate-crash the wedding reception of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's daughter Nooryana Najwa Najib, which was held there.
Police presence was minimal and kept at the fringes of the rally. Traffic police were seen stopping traffic at major junctions in Jalan Ampang, Jalan Dang Wangi and Jalan Tun Razak as the crowd made their way through.
However, the protesters were stopped by a police blockade set up near the Public Bank building on Jalan Ampang.
The rally ended with a carnival-like atmosphere with protesters sitting on the four-lane road and singing songs.
The road was reopened to motorists at 6.55pm.
Dang Wangi CID chief deputy supt M. Gunalan said the protesters acted well and abided to orders, saying that no violations were recorded during the rally.
The protest has been staged weekly since February, after Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was sentenced to five years in jail after the Federal Court found him guilty of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
The IGP said on Friday that he has had enough of the #KitaLawan rallies and that the pro-Opposition movement is no longer allowed to assemble anywhere.
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