WE YELLOW THE BN
9 a.m.: A crowd in yellow t-shirts have gathered here. Volunteers are
selling yellow "Angry Birds" balloons to the public. Written on the
balloons are "Clean Elections" "Stop Lynas" "Bersih 428" and "Save Our
Children". They are selling the balloons with a yellow recycled bag and a
towel for RM20.
9:05 a.m.: Himpunan Hijau members have assembled at the KLCC entrance, Jalan Ampang, with curious onlookers in their midst.
9:06 a.m.: A small group of supporters arrive at Central Market with
drums, tambourines and placards in tow. Supporters already in the area
crowd around the group, cheering them on and appreciating the morning
entertainment.
Police at Lebuh Pudu
9:09 a.m.: A crowd is chanting in front of the police barricade blocking
the entrance to Dataran Merdeka at Jalan Raja. Among them are
supporters wearing green in support of the anti-Lynas group. Police keep
a close eye.
9:15 a.m.: Groups of demonstrators begin to sit down in the middle of the Jalan Parlimen-Jalan Raja intersection.
A crowd of Bersih supporters seen buying LRT tokens at KL Sentral, some to Central Market, others to Masjid Jamek.
Some members of Himpunan Hijau at KLCC pose for pictures with policemen.
9:16 a.m.: Police vehicles have been arriving at Sogo since 8am. At least 10 trucks and three buses so far.
9:20 a.m.: RapidKL buses are sending passengers to the closest LRT stations (not into the city) as some roads are closed.
9:21 a.m.: Police gathered in front of the Bar Council have blocked off
the road behind Central Market towards Dataran. Pockets of supporters
moving towards their direction and stopping in front of the police
9:24 a.m.: OCBC bank building beside the Masjid Jamek LRT station sealed off to the public with red and white tape.
9:30 a.m.: Crowd at Masjid Jamek gathers around a small drum ensemble, singing the song "Stand Up For Your Rights"
9:44 a.m.: A crowd at Petaling Street has broken out in protest chants
and songs in at least two groups. One group of mothers for Bersih leads
boisterous cheers in support of Bersih and against Lynas.
OUR RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE WAS MANIPULATED TO A CRIME OF INTRUSION
9:45 a.m.: Police form three lines blocking Lebuh Pudu (in front of
the Bar Council office) but allow people to walk to Dataran Merdeka
using the path along the shoplots.
Policemen at Sogo taking advantage of the calm to have nasi lemak for breakfast.
A small crowd gathers about 50m in front of the police barrier at Sogo. Some wearing yellow t-shirts.
9:55 a.m.: Increased police presence around the Little India fountain at
Brickfields in anticipation of gathering of Bersih 3.0 supporters. No
road closure around KL Sentral area.
10 a.m.: Very lively and happy crowd at Jalan Sultan. A group is
making music with sticks, pails and plastic bottles and marching down
the road while others cheer them on.
Sogo opens its doors. Still very heavy police presence. Helicopter hovers above.
10:05 a.m.: Police are cordoning off Sogo entrances with red and
white tape. Only the main entrance is open, with policemen guarding it.
The
crowd in front of Dataran Merdeka, already sitting, are entertaining
each other with "magic tricks." One guy takes a lighter and slides it
along his arm but he's not hurt. Crowd cheers and laughs.
10:10 a.m.: People are starting to sit down beside the barricade was
set up at Jalan Tun Perak to prevent protesters from entering Dataran
Merdeka. As they sit, the group is chanting "duduk" (sit).
Police
still remain stationed behind barricade while Bersih's crowd control
personnel present to maintain order amonsgt sit in protestors
10:15 a.m.: A few shops around Sogo opening for business. However, most
shops are still closed. The crowd in front of the police barrier here is
slowly growing.
10:30 a.m.: Growing crowd around Jalan Petaling. Most milling around, some chanting "Bersih".
10:35 a.m.: Policemen linking arms at the barricade in front of the crowd at Sogo
10:36 a.m.: Carnival-like atmosphere as a group of Bersih 3.0 supporters
with musical instruments spur on a crowd gathered around Jalan Tun Tan
Siew Sin and Jalan Tan Cheng Lock. Scores of policemen keeping close
watch along with Hospital Kuala Lumpur emergency med services team.
10:40 a.m.: Police are tweeting that eight objects believed to be explosives found outside Menara Dayabumi.
10:35 a.m.: Himpunan Hijau and Bersih 3.0 demonstrators at KLCC have
started walking, believed to be towards the Australian Embassy.
10:43 a.m.: A large crowd of people wearing Bersih t-shirts make their
way to Jalan Sultan after assembling in front of the Central Market LRT
station.
10:45 a.m.: Bersih 3.0 organising chairman Datuk S. Ambiga giving a press conference at Central Market.
Protestors blocking one side of Jalan Ampang. Several anti-Lynas leaders are giving speeches. Vehicles cannot get through.
10:50 a.m.: A small band of supporters wearing yellow seen tying up
banners to lamp posts near the Little India fountain, Brickfields.
Police are nearby watching. They are chanting "hidup hidup rakyat.
Bersih bersih bangkit rakyat."
Crowd at Sogo has started chanting slogans.
10:51 a.m.: Central Market packed with Bersih supporters now. Crowds cheering Ambiga on.
10:54 a.m.: The crowd assembled in front of Central Market converge at
the stage in the parking lot, holding up their hands and making 428
symbols while chanting pro-Bersih slogans with Ambiga and other leaders
from the movement.
10:55 a.m.: Protesters at KLCC are marching from Jalan Ampang to Jalan P. Ramlee. The crowd has swelled.
Main
crowd still infront of police barrier at Sogo. Many bypassing barrier
by going through Masjid India to reach Dataran Merdeka. Police are not
stopping them.
10:57 a.m.: More than a thousand have gathered outside the barricade at
Jalan Parlimen- Jalan Raja intersection. Crowds are constantly chanting
bersih slogans. Police presence has increased as well with cops
stationed at the barricade as well as at the Jalan Parlimen roundabout.
11 a.m.: Himpunan Hijau members prevented from going further up to Jalan Ampang and are proceeing towards Jalan P Ramlee.
Among those gathering for the Bersih rally at KLCC
11:05 a.m.: Supporters crowd the front of the stage at Central Market
to snap pictures of Ambiga and other leaders from the movement. A few
of them start singing Inilah Barisan Kita.
The anti-Lynas group from KLCC is heading towards Jalan Pudu, roads cleared for them.
A
group of about a hundred students from the Solidariti Mahasiswa
Malaysia group has joined the main crowd gathered at the Jalan
Parlimen-Jalan Raja intersection. The group came through Jalan Raja Laut
chanting Bersih slogans. The crowd is starting to swell here.
11:15 a.m.: Crowd applauds a group of marchers, led by Selangor speaker
Datuk Teng Chang Khim and start chanting Bersih Bersih, as the group
marches by Masjid Jamek LRT station.
11:18 a.m.: Atmosphere at Central Market calm now as supporters seen going in for lunch.
The crowd at Jalan Sultan
11:19 a.m.: Crowd growing at Little India, in yellow t-shirts and ready to move to Dataran Merdeka.
11:20 a.m.: PKR's Azmin Ali seen wearing Bersih t-shirt among the crowd in front of Sogo.
11:22 a.m.: More supporters moving into Central Market, coming in from Brickfields and KL Sentral direction.
11:24 a.m.: A police helicopter has been hovering above Central Market and nearby assembly points for the last 10 minutes, as protesters go about their business while waiting for further instructions from the movement's leadership.
11:25 a.m.: Azmin Ali walking with some through Masjid India to Dataran.
Anti-Lynas group to Pudu Central and chanting slogans.
11:26 a.m.: A group of Bar Council members are gathered nearby the
Little India fountain in Brickfields to observe the situation here.
11:30 a.m.: The crowds have started to move towards the Masjid
Negara. They were told to do so by PAS' Unit Amal personnel. Meanwhile
the crowd gathered at Jalan Parlimen-Jalan Raja waves at a low hovering
police helicopter.
The group of marchers from Masjid Jamek have
stopped at Jalan Tun Perak-Jalan Hang Lekiu intersection and proceeded
to sit down and continue chanting. They start singing Negaraku.
11:35 a.m.: Little pieces of paper on what to do if arrested are distributed to Bersih supporters.
11:36 a.m.: Some Bersih supporters holding up yellow Angry Birds balloons while gathering at Brickfields.
11:40 a.m.: Crowd gathers in front of Bar Council, near the barb-wire
barricade leading to Dataran Merdeka. Also there are Occupy Dataran
protestors who previously camped in the square for the past two weeks.
Video grab of an object believed to be an explosive which was found by police outside Menara Dayabumi. - Video from PDRM
Jalan
Sultan crowd is growing; people are cheering, chanting Bersih slogans
and holding up banners. At least 3 helicopter seen circling the area.
Himpunan Hijau members have started a sit-down protest along Jalan Tun Perak, just outside Menara Maybank.
11:45 a.m.: Protesters marching from KLCC in green shirts shouting
"Stop Lynas" have merged with the Masjid Jamek crowd at the Jalan Tun
Perak-Jalan Hang Lekiu.
The Jalan Tun Perak crowd reach Central
Market, blocking off the road as they join supporters gathered at
Central Market. Their arrival was marked by loud cheers and applaud, and
chants of "Hidup Rakyat!" and "Reformasi!"
Crowd getting louder and holding up banners at police barrier near Sogo. Police keeping a close eye.
Some
of the crowd gather in front of the barricade along Jalan
Parlimen-Jalan Raja intersection and watch as about 30 Federal Reserve
Unit (FRU) personnel with batons and shields march in the distance
toward the barricade.
Police say items found outside Dayabumi were not explosives.
11:46 a.m.: Big crowd gathers at Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock in front of Central Market shouting Bersih chants.
11:50am: Jalan Sultan crowd instructed to move to Dataran Maybank, slowly moving out from Jalan Sultan to Jalan Pudu now.11:55 a.m.: Crowd at Central Market told by rally organisers via loud hailer that they will assemble and do nothing until 2pm, when Bersih 2.0 leaders are expected to decide on their sit-in venue.
12 p.m.: Former Perak MB Datuk Nizar Jamaluddin arrives at Central Market, wearing a yellow Bersih 3.0 collared t-shirt.
Bersih supporters who gathered at Brickfields have started moving towards Dataran. Among those in the crowd are Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran and former Perak Pakatan Rakyat speaker V. Sivakumar.
12:03 p.m.: Shutters of Central Market have come down to keep out protesters gathered in front and around the iconic building.
12:10 p.m.: A large group walking from the direction of KLCC have joined up with crowd at Sogo.
The few shops which were open in the area have closed their shutters in anticipation of trouble.
A few leaders of the crowd are trying to negotiate with police. Police retreat. Loud cheers are heard. The crowd sits down at the Sogo traffic intersection and continues to chant.
12:10 p.m.: Crowd from Jalan Sultan has began walking towards Dataran Merdeka.
12:04 p.m.: Bersih supporters causing traffic crawl as the crowd moves from Jalan Tun Sambathan to Dataran Merdeka. Police are controlling the traffic.
Users say phone networks are congested and data services are becoming limited in the Masjid Jamek LR area.
12:15 p.m.: Crowd from Little India has joined up with another crowd gathering in front of YMCA in Brickfields.
1 p.m.: Massive crowd at Masjid Jamek, now that the groups from Jalan Sultan and Himpunan Hijau group have arrived. Street is jampacked with human beings. DAP national chairman Karpal Singh has arrived at Central Market.
12:17 p.m.: PAS' Unit Amal is leading the crowd from Brickfields to Dataran merdeka
12:18 p.m.: Water cannon spotted along with several FRU buses and trucks along Jalan Raja in front of Dataran Merdeka. Crowd remains seated at the Jalan Parlimen-Jalan Raja intersection. Large crowd seated along the whole of Jalan Tun Perak.
12:28 p.m.: Crowd at Sogo begin marching to Dataran Merdeka through Jalan TAR. Police continue to retreat.
12:35 p.m.: A large crowd marches from Masjid Negara heads towards the road to Dataran Merdeka but stopped by a police blockade. The crowd returns to the mosque area.
Opposition leader Datuk Anwar Ibrahim, who arrived earlier, tells crowd they will move towards Dataran Merdeka after Zohor prayers.
Former Umno veteran leader Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir and DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang are among those at Masjid Negara
.
.12:37 p.m.: Two paragliders fly over Central Market sending the crowd into a cheering frenzy.
12:39 p.m.: A detachment of more than a hundred policemen in uniform start to walk towards the Jalan Parlimen roundabout from Jalan Raja Laut.
12:40 p.m.: The crowd from Sogo reaches Jalan Parlimen and merges with the group there. Cheers and chants grow louder.
Bersih supporters taking their lunch break at a mamak restaurant at KTM station.
Protesters carrying flowers.
12:48 p.m.: Crowd spills over at Central Market as more supporters arrive from Brickfields.
12:50 p.m.: More groups from different locations have made their way to Masjid Jamek.
12:51 p.m.: A group of FRU personnel gathered at the Jalan Parlimen roundabout have rung their warning bell. A group of demonstrators are standing their ground.
12:51 p.m.: A police helicopter hovers low over Central Market, as hundreds more protesters stream in to the area. It momentarily drowns out protesters' chants and cheers then moves on.
Organizers tell crowd not to cause any provocation during the rally.
1:15 p.m.: Two police black Marias that have been stationed near the Masjib Jamek LRT station all morning have moved towards Dataran Merdeka.
.Police have sounded a second warning bell, warning the crowd around Dataran Merdeka. The demonstrators remain defiant
Crowd from Jalan Sultan has flowed into Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, road is filled with people walking slowly and peacefully chanting slogans from time to time.
1:19 p.m.: Thousands of rally participants stop their chants of 'Bersih' and 'Stop Lynas' as Zohor prayers heard from Masjid Jamek.
1:20 p.m.: FRU personnel have re-grouped at Dataran Merdeka. Water canon trucks also on standby there.
Muslims protestors gathered at Masjid Negara enter mosque to perform prayers
1:23 p.m.: Protestors at Dataran throw plastic bottles at police
trucks passing by, heading to Jalan Parlimen roundabout. Crowd jeers.
AT MASJED JAMEK JLN TUN PERAK
1:30 p.m.: Bersih 3.0 chairman S. Ambiga tells crowd at Central Market
that march to Dataran Merdeka will begin at 1:45 p.m.; crowd from Masjid
Negara to march after Zohor prayers.
1:45 p.m.: Protesters begin their march from Central Market to Dataran
Merdeka. They are led by Ambiga and other Bersih and Pakatan leaders.
Protesters sit down in front of the police block at Jalan Lebuh Pasar
Besar, next to Bar Council building, still singing and chanting Bersih
slogans
1:56 p.m.: Opposition leaders Tony Pua and Nurul Izzah Anwar have joined
the rally at Masjid Jamek, together with some of the Bersih steering
committee members.
1:59 p.m.: PKR's Nurul Izzah is addressing the Masjid Jamek crowd.
2 p.m.: Protesters from Central Market, led by Ambiga, join up with
protesters assembled near Masjid Jamek, the closest they can get to
Dataran Merdeka.
2:04 p.m.: PKR deputy president Azmin Ali addresses crowd sitting in
front of Dataran. He asks, "Do you want to enter Dataran?" Crowd shouts
back yes. Azmin says "Dataran does not belong to DBKL"
2:15 p.m.: Ambiga is addressing the crowd at Majid Jamek
2:20 p.m.: Barbwire barricade at Jalan Raja Laut forcibly removed by protesters, despite Bar Council urging them to stand down.
A
DAP advises crowd to remain seated at same location in front of the
police block at Jalan Lebuh Pasar Besar, next to Bar Council building,
until 4 p.m. - "If you enter Dataran, no law will protect you. Our
advice is, remain seated here. Do not try to enter Dataran"
Crowd
at Masjid Jamek observe a minute's silence in remembrance of Anuar
Baharuddin, who passed away at the last Bersih rally. They then sing
Negaraku.
2:25 p.m.: Crowd at Dataran chanting, "We want Dataran" and trying to
push through barrier now. Fears of stampede for people on the front now
but situation brought under control again. Situation very tense.
2:30 p.m.: Ambiga tells crowd at Masjid Jamek to disperse, after a short
speech where she reiterated her call for free and fair elections
2:40 p.m.: Truck that Ambiga, Anwar and the rest were standing atop
slowly heads in the direction of Dataran while the crowd follows2:57 p.m.: A group of demonstrators break through the barricade at
Dataran. Tear gas fired and water cannons sprayed at the protesters.