Smoke bombs seized from Workers Day protesters, police say

Police say smoke bombs were seized from those detained over their involvement in today’s Workers Day rally against the goods and services tax (GST) in Kuala Lumpur. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Kamal Ariffin, May 1, 2015.

Police say they have arrested 29 people over the Workers Day rally in the capital earlier today which saw a massive turnout of about 10,000 thronging the streets of Kuala Lumpur to protest the goods and services tax (GST).

Kuala Lumpur CID chief SAC Zainuddin Ahmad in a statement tonight said the arrests began at 7.30pm, a little over two hours after the rally ended just after 5pm.

One woman was detained in addition to 28 men, and their ages were between 17 and 41, Zainuddin said.

They were arrested to facilitate investigations under Section 143 of the Penal Code for unlawful assembly, Section 4 of the Penal Code for possession of corrosive and explosive substances, as well as under Section 448 and 427 of the Penal Code.

Zainuddin said police would seek remand for all detainees tomorrow.

He said smoke bombs were also seized from the detainees.

During the rally, a group of 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.

Women’s activist Ivy Josiah, who is also at the Dang Wangi station tonight, said that at least four among those detained are underaged and were brought in handcuffed in a chain.

Different figures on the number of those arrested have emerged, however.

Lawyer Latheefa Koya said 59 were detained. They were brought to the Dang Wangi police headquarters tonight after being at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters earlier.

Also summoned to the Dang Wangi station tonight were lawyer and activist Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke and Parti Sosialis Malaysia secretary-general S. Arutchelvan.

Parti Sosialis Malaysia secretary-general S. Arutchelvan says he is ‘amazed’ that he is being arrested tonight. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Seth Akmal, May 1, 2015.Arutchelvan, who arrived at the Dang Wangi station at 10.50pm, said he was "amazed" that he was being arrested tonight.

"I agreed to come tomorrow but they insisted tonight.

"After the protest, I called an officer from Dang Wangi and he said everything went well," said Arutchelvan, who earlier last month was also detained in another anti-GST protest outside the Customs Department building in Petaling Jaya.

He said the Workers Day rally organisers had opted not to heed police instructions to hold the event at Padang Merbok as the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) and the Federal Constitution did not make protesting peacefully a crime.

"Under the PAA and the constitution, we do not have to subscribe to their condition," he said.

Loke, who arrived at 11.06pm, said he was already on his way back to his constituency in Seremban when he received a call to present himself to the police tonight.

DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke says the police are ‘obviously under pressure’ to take action against those who had joined the rally. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Seth Akmal, May 1, 2015.He spent some time explaining to the police his busy schedule, which included a function in Penang tomorrow morning and a Wesak Day procession back in Seremban on the same day.

"I told the officer that I could make myself available on Monday, but they insisted I come tonight," he said.

Loke said he was initially told to go to Bukit Aman but was later told to go to the Dang Wangi police headquarters.

He said he was being investigated for sedition and unlawful assembly, and would be presented by Gobind Singh Deo.

He added that the police's actions tonight showed that they were "obviously under pressure to take action, to harass us".

"We are prepared for any eventuality," the DAP lawmaker said of the possibility of being detained overnight.

- TMI