Police detained four lawyers and four activists for taking part in an illegal march yesterday.
Another lawyer was later detained for obstructing Kuala Lumpur City Hall officers from removing banners from the Bar Council building.
The four lawyers – R. Sivarasa, PKR vice-president; Latheefa Koya, PKR supreme council member; N. Surendran and Amir Hamzah – were arrested as they reached Jalan Tun Perak while Edmund Bon was picked up outside the Bar Council building in Lebuh Pasar.
The four activists detained were Eric Paulsen, Ashraf Ali, Norazah Othman and Anthony Andu.
About 100 lawyers, activists, bloggers and members of non-governmental organisations gathered near the Sogo Shopping Complex at 7.30am and walked to the Bar Council building, about 3km away, where events to commemorate World Human Rights Day were planned. The group held a banner during the walk.
There were also some people, said to be family members of Internal Security Act detainees, with surgical masks with ISA written on them.
When the group reached Jalan Tun Perak, an argument broke out between some marchers and the police, who ordered them to disperse. The police then arrested the eight people.
At least 500 police personnel in uniform and plainclothes from the City police headquarters and the Dang Wangi police station were present. No Federal Reserve Unit personnel or water cannon vehicles were seen.
Dang Wangi deputy OCPD Supt Che Hamzah Che Ismail said the eight were arrested under the Police Act for carrying out an illegal assembly. He said he gave the marchers three warnings before making the arrests.
Supt Hamzah denied that he had given the group permission to march at the beginning and gone back on his approval later.
Another lawyer was later detained for obstructing Kuala Lumpur City Hall officers from removing banners from the Bar Council building.
The four lawyers – R. Sivarasa, PKR vice-president; Latheefa Koya, PKR supreme council member; N. Surendran and Amir Hamzah – were arrested as they reached Jalan Tun Perak while Edmund Bon was picked up outside the Bar Council building in Lebuh Pasar.
The four activists detained were Eric Paulsen, Ashraf Ali, Norazah Othman and Anthony Andu.
About 100 lawyers, activists, bloggers and members of non-governmental organisations gathered near the Sogo Shopping Complex at 7.30am and walked to the Bar Council building, about 3km away, where events to commemorate World Human Rights Day were planned. The group held a banner during the walk.
There were also some people, said to be family members of Internal Security Act detainees, with surgical masks with ISA written on them.
When the group reached Jalan Tun Perak, an argument broke out between some marchers and the police, who ordered them to disperse. The police then arrested the eight people.
At least 500 police personnel in uniform and plainclothes from the City police headquarters and the Dang Wangi police station were present. No Federal Reserve Unit personnel or water cannon vehicles were seen.
Dang Wangi deputy OCPD Supt Che Hamzah Che Ismail said the eight were arrested under the Police Act for carrying out an illegal assembly. He said he gave the marchers three warnings before making the arrests.
Supt Hamzah denied that he had given the group permission to march at the beginning and gone back on his approval later.
