HINDRAF Rally of the Marginalised (Videos and Pics)

Malaysiakini reported 30,000 Hindraf protesters rally in KLCC

WE WANT OUR RIGHTS ! ( Picture from BMahendran.com )

Big crowd around the area( Picture from BMahendran.com )

Malaysiakini further reported of A Gandhi-inspired mass civil disobedience :
Hindraf legal advisor P Uthayakumar, has declared the movement’s rally today “a success” despite not being able to hand a petition to the British High Commission.

-> Petition 'not main objective'
-> Crowd defiant and persistent
-> 400 protesters detained

For at least five times, the crowd would run at each 'water canon charge', only to defiantly claim back their original positions and chanting "We want justice!" in both Tamil and English.

( Picture from Reuters )

One of the Petronas Twin Towers in the background while chemical-laced water was sprayed onto peaceful marchers. ( Picture from BMahendran.com )



( Pictures from Reuters )

This post can also be labelled as "Heavy Handed Police Force on Malaysian HINDRAF Marchers" or "HINDRAF Rally: Democracy Malaysian-Style on Poor Marginalised Indians" . The full set of the pictures can be viewed in Reuters Slideshow .

Other important pictures on the HINDRAF protest can be viewed in Belladonna's blogspot
1) HINDRAF Protest - Part 1
2) HINDRAF Protest - Part 2

There are helicopters and other aspects of the rally taken from her family's apartment.

Views of Independent Organisations
The President of Human Rights Association (HAKAM) , Malik Imtiaz Sarwar has expressed his opinions on the Personal Dignity Of HINDRAF Supporters . Malik mentioned how different the police treatment on the UMNO Youth Demonstration during Condoleeza Rice's (of USA) visit at the same vicinity of the HINDRAF rally. No heavy handed police force on the former while the latter can be seen as provided by the videos and pics on this page and other blogs.

Haris Ibrahim of the People's Parliament, who is a lawyer did not walk in the rally but as a concerned citizen, he took the role as an observer in the Bar Council team. The Bar Council is apparently upset over the force imposed on rally participants.

Videos

( Malaysiakini.tv on Youtube )


( AlJazeera Official Report on Youtube )

A Youtube user by the name of thaksan had made several recordings AlJazeera news reports at different times.
1) Hindraf report at 9am on Youtube
2) Hindraf report at 10am on Youtube
3) Hindraf report at 11.35am on Youtube
4) Hindraf rally report with Y.B. Mr. S.K. Devamany, the Member of Parliament for Cameron Highlands and current Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) Member of Central Working Committee ( Must Watch! )

Some important points from the fourth video:
Q: Why then if there is a democratic process in place, you do not allow protests to take place. These people have requested a permit but you turned it down. Why is it necessary?

A: I think the intention was wrong. I think because religion was used and religious issues are very sensitive in this part of the nation. We are a multi-religious nation and things can go out of place and emotions are flaring.

Q: Hold on a minute, you seem to be suggesting the protesters are causing the violence but in fact it was not the case. It was clearly the police that were taking the aggressive stance by firing tear gas and spraying chemicals through water cannons. They were not provoked by the protesters.

A: We have to see the type of people that came for the demonstration. I am not there but I wish that the demonstrators are matured and know how to handle themselves.

Q: Sir, what do you mean by the type of people. Are you referring to the fact that these people are of Indian ethnicity? Is that something that the government cannot accept : Indians taking to the streets?

A: No, No, I don't think so. I don't think so. The fifth prime minister has been giving tremendous allowances for openness and errh, feedbacks from the people, the press has been given freedom, legislatively freedom has been given the last four years.

Q: OK.

A: And the result of this response is because also of the openness. And I think the reactions could be instigated by one or two incidences which could have been overshot, overblown and there is a reason. A layman doesn't exactly know what is being done.


Then, I have more questions to ask the MP from MIC:
1) If it is the openness of the current governance, why aren't the protesters allowed to march?
2) If laymen do not understand "what is being done", why didn't the MPs or members explain it to the laymen and make sure they fully understand way back before the rally?
3) Dear me, are you sure it is only one or two incidences that caused such dissatisfaction? I wish the Indians good luck. I vow to all Indians to perform as suggested by Devamany, do it through the ballot boxes too.
4) Are you really sure the press and legal are really free? Hmmn.. wow... let's see the newspaper tomorrow.
5) The person is still unable to convince me with his answer on "Why the protest is illegal when the country is supposed to be practising democracy ?".