Black 505 rally loses steam, crowds leave early

PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim blames the haze for the poor turnout.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Black 505 rally series seems to have lost its steam as only about 30,000 people attended the gathering at Padang Merbok today. And PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim blamed the haze for the poor turnout.

Some participants were seen leaving as early as an hour after gathering at the venue.

Hundreds of participants were seen walking away from Padang Merbok as early as 3.30pm, with many of them citing “heat, haze and boring speeches” as reasons for leaving.

When approached by FMT, a participant who gave her name as Lee said that she was “tired” and “sick from the weather”.

Anwar  claimed that several leaders in the meeting point had urged the people who brought their children for the rally to return home due to the poor weather.

But the former deputy prime minister vowed to continue the rallies until the Elections Commission officials resign from their post.

In the past two weeks, PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli was at loggerheads with the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the police over the use for the venue for the rally.

While the police relented to PKR’s demand yesterday, DBKL seemed to be insistent to disallow the rally to be held at Padang Merbok.

However,  DBKL allowed the rally participants to gather at the field today. Even the police helped to man the traffic and their presence were minimal at the venue.

About 40 speakers were called to give speeches but much of the crowd seemed uninterested as many are seen chatting away and some were even sleeping at the pathways.

But not everything went on smoothly as scuffle ensued between several Solidariti Anak-Anak Malaysia (SAMM) activists and DBKL officers when the latter instructed the latter to remove their tents from the field.

Two local council officers were heckled and assaulted in the process. Later, the student activist were seen increasing the number of tents from 10 to 30.

With the rally seemingly losing its steam, it remains to be seen on how Pakatan is going to continue with the rallies in the days to come.