A heckler captured by participants at a Pakatan Rakyat ceramah in Kuala Selangor last night sent PAS crowd-control corp Unit Amal scrambling as they attempted to prevent him from being beaten up.
A group of about 20 youth on motorcycles had stopped outside the ceramah venue at the Kuala Selangor Stadium and unfurled anti-Pakatan spray-painted banners while taunting participants from outside the fences.
This provoked an angry reaction from hundreds of participants as some moved to the fence, about 20 metres away from the main 5,000-strong ceramah crowd and began shouting at the hecklers: "Catch them! Catch them!".
According to an eyewitness, some of the hecklers had vandalised and scratched a number of vehicles parked outside the stadium.
A group of irate participants then exited the stadium and caught one of the hecklers who was subsequently dragged into the stadium building.
The heckler, dressed in a pink T-shirt with white stripes was immediately mobbed by the angry crowd as Unit Amal members struggled to reach him to form a human shield.
"Don't hit him, don't hit him, let him go," a Unit Amal member was heard shouting repeatedly as they attempted to push back the angry crowd while others called for calm, but to no avail.
After Unit Amal members had successfully formed a circle around the heckler, he was quickly rushed to the stadium entrance and released to rejoin his waiting peers.
The stadium gates were immediately shut to prevent the angry crowd from pursuing them.
Growing violence
Despite the commotion, the ceramah, which was attended by Pakatan top guns, continued uninterrupted.
Addressing the crowd later, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim dismissed the scuffle as yet another attempt at intimidation by pro-government forces.
"As usual, there is disturbance again... This is the action of hired thugs," he lamented.
Other leaders who addressed the ceramah included DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim.
Ceramahs and rallies have become increasing tensed in recent months as both sides of the political divide prepare for an anticipated early general election.
Yesterday morning, Deputy Education Minister Wee Ka Siong who had made a surprise appearance at a rally in Kajang for Chinese education was almost hit by a participant.
At least three such incidences were recorded last month, with an attemptedattack on Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah during a ceramah in Gambang, Pahang while Anwar's vehicle was damagedduring a ceramah in Sembrong, Johor.
Two journalists were also assaulted in a scuffle during the Himpunan Hijau solidarity gathering which was attended by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in Georgetown last month.
A group of about 20 youth on motorcycles had stopped outside the ceramah venue at the Kuala Selangor Stadium and unfurled anti-Pakatan spray-painted banners while taunting participants from outside the fences.
This provoked an angry reaction from hundreds of participants as some moved to the fence, about 20 metres away from the main 5,000-strong ceramah crowd and began shouting at the hecklers: "Catch them! Catch them!".According to an eyewitness, some of the hecklers had vandalised and scratched a number of vehicles parked outside the stadium.
A group of irate participants then exited the stadium and caught one of the hecklers who was subsequently dragged into the stadium building.
The heckler, dressed in a pink T-shirt with white stripes was immediately mobbed by the angry crowd as Unit Amal members struggled to reach him to form a human shield.
"Don't hit him, don't hit him, let him go," a Unit Amal member was heard shouting repeatedly as they attempted to push back the angry crowd while others called for calm, but to no avail.
After Unit Amal members had successfully formed a circle around the heckler, he was quickly rushed to the stadium entrance and released to rejoin his waiting peers.
The stadium gates were immediately shut to prevent the angry crowd from pursuing them.
Growing violence
Despite the commotion, the ceramah, which was attended by Pakatan top guns, continued uninterrupted.
Addressing the crowd later, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim dismissed the scuffle as yet another attempt at intimidation by pro-government forces.
"As usual, there is disturbance again... This is the action of hired thugs," he lamented.Other leaders who addressed the ceramah included DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim.
Ceramahs and rallies have become increasing tensed in recent months as both sides of the political divide prepare for an anticipated early general election.
Yesterday morning, Deputy Education Minister Wee Ka Siong who had made a surprise appearance at a rally in Kajang for Chinese education was almost hit by a participant.
At least three such incidences were recorded last month, with an attemptedattack on Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah during a ceramah in Gambang, Pahang while Anwar's vehicle was damagedduring a ceramah in Sembrong, Johor.Two journalists were also assaulted in a scuffle during the Himpunan Hijau solidarity gathering which was attended by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in Georgetown last month.
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