Fuel and Electricity Price Hike Demo - 29 May 2006 - Video 2

It was supposed to be the climax of a series of anti-fuel hike demonstrations, yet it ended on a tragic note when police today forcefully broke up the protest with at least two seriously injured.

At 10.30am, the 500-strong crowd gathered near the Jalan Ampang entrance of the iconic Kuala Lumpur City Centre and began their peaceful protest with noisy chants and fiery speeches.

One of the protest banners said: "Cronies get rich while workers are oppressed".

The protestors also slammed a government's decision last week to raise electricity tariffs by 12 percent - the first hike in nearly a decade.

Some 100 riot police wielding batons and rifles stood guard in front of KLCC Twin Towers, alongside several water cannon trucks, as helicopters flew overhead.

"Everybody is suffering from the fuel hike. Now electricity prices are also up. These two hikes will hit us hard, whether our pay is large or small," chief protest organiser Dr Hatta Ramli told the crowd.

Things took a turn for the worse when the third speaker at the demonstration, DAP representative Ronnie Liu, expressed his gratitude for the support given by voters to the opposition at the recent Sarawak state elections.

Immediately, the police through loudhailers issued an order for the crowd to disperse. The crowd ignored the warning, and five minutes later, water cannons were fired.

Despite being drenched profusely, most of the crowd defiantly held their ground, prompting plainclothes police officers to move in and make random arrests.

Those arrested include Liu, PAS Kubang Kerian member of parliament Salahuddin Ayub and Parti Keadilan Rakyat deputy information chief Badrul Hisham.

As the crowd moved out of the water cannons' range, the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) charged at them sending many protestors, including women and children, running for cover as shocked Sunday shoppers looked on.

Excessive violence

Eyewitness reports tell of excessive violence being used by the FRU on several protestors, including PKR deputy secretary-general Zahir Hassan (left and below), who was kicked a number of times while sprawled on the road.

Zahir was walking away from the protest venue with his two daughters when he was repeatedly shoved from behind by a FRU officer using his shield.

The FRU officer then turned to Zahir's two daughters, both in their 20s, pushing one of them. Enraged, Zahir attempted to protect his daughters from the police officer.

Instead, Zahir was assaulted by several FRU personnel. He was thrown to the floor, endured several blows of police baton and at least three kicks - two on the back and one on the abdomen - prompting his daughters to scream hysterically.

All this while, Zahir was clutching onto the anti-fuel hike booklet that was distributed at the protest. According to PKR information chief Tian Chua, Zahir - who was arrested by the police - had been sent to the hospital for medical attention.

An X-ray was taken before Zahir was sent to the Pudu police station where other detainees were held.

http://www.djnovin.com/column/minyak/2006/05/protes-harga-minyak-fru-polis-be...

http://www.jeffooi.com/2006/05/ngos_this_is_why_we_need_ipcmc.php

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• malaysia
• kuala
• lumpur
• petronas
• ipcmc
• ganas
• demo
• minyak
• dap
• pas
• bn
• barisan
• tenaga
• nasional
• badawi

[dlizzerx]

bodoh nye cine

[jacoblee776]

Fuck you. Don't turn this into a racist thing. There were Malays and Indians and all other colours here. You UMNO dumbfuck.

[nashdi]

Sekurang-kurangnya pemimpin BN kebas duit rakyat tak kira anak yatim, miskin, mahupun yang bergolongan sederhana. Sebijik macam perompak! Untuk isi poket kroni, sanggup rompak apa sahaja. Minyak naik ni katakan la sorang cakap "Nak mampus Pak Lah ni" dalam 1 rumah, dalam Malaysia ni ada brp banyak rumah??? Sket lagi mampus la Pak Lah tu berkat doa rakyat...

[danieltkb]

oh the dark forces of malaysia police and the said authority. do you know that you will be face to the creator? you can harm and kill the body BUT the soul (blood) will cry out. see yourself the nation whom had mis use its power, what benefited in the days to come. all will parish included its generation.

just because of power, money and status you will, one day we will meet you face to face with the eternal judge. shame of you, shame of you. shame of you.

[shingabells]

maybe the police pay less for petrol...

[JIeMIY]

grr

[wyunaboy]

STupid chinese malaysia! love being bitch slap by fucking malayu malaysia! stand up for your right you dick or go back to mainland china! tell those malayu to get a job and stop threating chinese and indian in malaysia like a pig@!

[rejd2850]

btul tu papatoys,mereka berdemo untuk diorg gak..suruh diorg demo..lambat ar..wat demo tape bleh la..

[sukina27]

tai cek kong

[hazardimmortal]

FRU was trained to be brutal.

They don't handle with care.

at least it will be 15 or more stitches.

[atanluimuda]

korang dh xde isu lg ke nk bankitkan?

[6280boyz]

woi babi cakap guna otak la.. kalau xblaja agama jgn cakap byk!! ko xtau ke zakat tu salah satu utk fisabillilah.. isitu org yg tgh blaja. xkira anak sapa org tu berhak.. pemimpin umno kebas duit rakya ko xkira ke babi?