PETALING JAYA: Protesters have pledged to continue their “blockade” of the US embassy in Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, despite facing the threat of arrest by the authorities.
Sekretariat Solidariti Palestin (SSP) said it had asked the authorities for permission to protest on the road in front of the embassy but that request was denied.
“We will continue our picket as planned and invite everyone to join us and show our solidarity with our Muslim, Christian and Jewish Palestinian brothers and sisters,” it said in a statement.
Last night, several NGOs and political parties gathered in Kuala Lumpur ahead of a proposed six-day “blockade” of the US embassy.
The rally organised by SSP saw more than 100 people marching from the Tabung Haji Tower in Jalan Tun Razak to the US embassy nearby.
However, the police halted the so-called blockade, citing the need to ensure public order and the safety of foreign missions in Malaysia.
SSP also said today that Kuala Lumpur City Hall had told protesters to dismantle their tents at 3am, then allowed them to re-erect their tents at 7.30am when it began to rain.
The group claimed that protesters were treated like “criminals” but did not elaborate.
“To make matters worse, we were threatened with arrest when we reiterated our intent to stay put until Dec 31,” SSP said.
It added: “We demand our right to assemble peacefully and oppose the US for its continued support of Israel.
“This systemic genocide has been going on for the past 75 years. It is time we tell the US that Malaysians have had enough, and we are not going to stand idly by and watch a massacre.”
The protest follows the US’s apparent intransigence in hastening an end to hostilities in Palestine.
It had vetoed a UN Security Council draft resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza earlier this month, and last week threatened to veto another draft resolution.
This forced the council to water down the language in the resolution to call for “urgent action” in humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip instead of a “ceasefire”.
The US then agreed not to veto the amended resolution and abstained from the vote. The resolution was passed on Friday. - FMT
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