KUALA LUMPUR, June 24: The Chairman of Anyone But Umno (ABU), Harris Ibrahim urged the police to release their friends who assembled in front of the Parliamentary building this morning.
“We will prepare legal aid and if those arrested are not yet released by the police, we will hold a protest in front of the Jinjang Police Station tonight,” he said.
In the demonstration in front of the Parliamentary building this morning, approximately 26 individuals were arrested, including a woman.
The protest which was participated by about 150 people protested by lying down on the road since 10am.
The situation became tense an hour later when the group, which was led by student activist Adam Adli, tried to breach the police barrier which was located about 800 meters from the Parliament gates.
In the meantime, Harris explained that the Blackout505 camp unanimously decided to end this camping protest activity at Padang Merbok which was aimed at urging thentop leadership of the Election Commission (EC) to resign.
According to Haris, ABU and several other NGOs will discuss the next course of action in the next few days.
However, the action does not mean that the NGOs involved have conceded with the authorities.
“This morning at about 4.30am, the enforcement officers from the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), together with the police, confiscated our tents.
“But we remained calm because we had unanimously decided to end this camping (protest). We allowed them to take our tents without any resistance,” he told TVSelangor when met at Padang Merbok.
Yesterday, DBKL ordered participants of the assembly to dismantle their tents because the move to set up camps in public areas is against the Local Government By-laws (the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur) 1992, stating that gathering without a permit and the offense of putting up tents is an offense under the Road, Drainage and Building Act 1974.
However, participants continued to set up camp before DBKL confiscated around 50 tents this morning.
