Lawyers representing the 23 youths during their hearing in the Dang Wangi police station, Kuala Lumpur, today. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Seth Akmal, May 2, 2015.
Twenty-three youths arrested after the Workers Day rally yesterday will be remanded for three days while six minors detained will be released today, lawyer Michelle Yesudas said.
Police obtained the remand orders from magistrate Mohd Rehan Mohd Aris today.
Police had initially asked for a four-day remand, Yesudas posted on Twitter.
The youths were arrested yesterday after the rally held to oppose the goods and services tax. An estimated 10,000 people attended the rally in Kuala Lumpur which police had allowed to proceed without any intervention.
The 29 were represented by a team of seven lawyers, including Eric Paulsen, Lim Chee Wee, Maha Ramakrishnan and Chan Yen Hui.
They were brought to the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters last night after their detention.
In WhatsApp messages to The Malaysian Insider, Yesudas said that there was no Welfare Department officer present even though six of the detainees were underage.
The minors aged 16 and 17 were originally handcuffed but the cuffs were removed after lawyers acting for them told the police at 1am today that they were underage, Yesudas said.
However, requests made to the police to have Welfare Department officers present were not heeded. None was present at today's remand hearing to oversee the children.
Yesudas added that the parents were only contacted after police were told to do so by lawyers at 1am today.
As for the 23 youths who had their remand extended for three days, Yesudas said they came from varied backgrounds, with some being PKR Youth members and the rest "bystanders".
Police yesterday said that smoke bombs were seized from among the 29 detained.
During the rally, some youths dressed in black with their faces covered were seen letting off smoke bombs, burning rubbish and spray-painting graffiti on signboards and metal hoardings.
Paulsen today tweeted that the 29 were being investigated under Section 143 of the Penal Code and Section 4 of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances Act for a "smoke bomb" released near Central Market.
"However all 29 were arrested at KLCC towards end of rally. Police should have arrested the 'smoke bomb' perpetrator and not blame wholesale."
- TMI
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