Tempers flare: Protesters lighting flares outside the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. — Photo courtesy of Kosmo!
KUALA LUMPUR: The Harimau Malaya supporters group, the Malayan Ultras, gathered at the US Embassy as a sign of protest over Israel’s blockade of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) mission.
The group started marching at 9pm yesterday, Sinar Harian reported.
The participants wore black shirts and marched towards the US Embassy, waving the Palestinian flag and banners that read “Free Palestine”.
Some chants criticising Israel also echoed throughout the march.
Earlier at noon, two men were detained following a scuffle during a pro-Palestine gathering outside the embassy.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Comm Datuk Fadil Marsus said tensions escalated when several people attempted to block traffic along Jalan Tun Razak in front of the embassy.
“In the ensuing commotion, a police personnel sustained injury to his mouth after being elbowed while attempting to maintain security at the scene,” he said in a statement.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim condemned the actions of the Israeli army to detain Malaysians who participated in the GSF.
Previously, the media reported that the director-general of the Sumud Nusantara Control Centre, Datuk Dr Sani Araby Abdul Alim Araby, confirmed that the GSF ship was intercepted by the Israeli military in international waters when the convoy was heading to Gaza for a humanitarian mission.
Wisma Putra in a statement last night said that all the 15 Malaysians detained in the Gaza-bound flotilla were safe and in good health, and that they would be deported to third countries.
