Police erect roadblocks on key roads into KL city centre

LIVE REPORTS


9.15am: KLCC - The entrance of KLCC facing the Public Bank building and the main entrance to the Twin Towers are sealed with steel bars.

Indera Mahkota MCA Youth chief David Choi, despite facing disciplinary action in the party for his support for Himpunan Hijau, is seen among the crowd.

The Indera Mahkota MCA Youth division is the only party division which strongly oppose the controversial Lynas rare earth plant which located in Gebeng, Pahang.

The protesters, which are now 500-strong, started chanting slogans.

8.56am: Pasar Seni - A pocket of some 40 yellow-clad Bersih supporters are camped in front of a roadblock on Jalan Lebuh Besar in front of Bar Council's building. They have decorated the barb wires and barricades with Bersih, anti-Lynas and Occupy Dataran banners.

8.51am: Police set up roadblock at Jalan Duta heading into Jalan Parlimen - all cars are stopped from entering Jalan Parlimen.

Police also erected a roadblock at the junction of MRR1 and Jalan Sultan Salahuddin. No vehicles allowed to use this road to go into the city centre.

8.48am: Sogo shopping complex - The intersection in front of Sogo is closed. Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, the main road leading to Dataran Merdeka, is blocked. No traffic is allowed to pass.

There are about 150 police personnel in the area, along with two police trucks. The police form a human wall in front of Sogo.

8.37am: Pasar Seni - Pockets of yellow clad people scattered around, many having breakfast while others are just milling around, numbering about 50.

Three busloads and two truckloads with about 200 police officers arrive in the shopping complex.

8.32am: KLCC - There are about 100 Himpunan Hijau 3.0 protesters gathered at the KLCC entrance, opposite Avenue K.

KLCC is the gathering point for the Himpunan Hijau 3.0 rally before they march to Masjid Jamek at noon to join Bersih 3.0. Most of those in the crowd are wearing the trademark Himpunan Hijau green T-shirts.

There are more than 150 uniformed police personnel in the area, some of them are being brief by their superior. However, no FRU trucks are spotted so far.

8am: Jalan Petaling - There is already a crowd of 300 in Chinatown with participants having trouble to find a place to eat as the few hawker centres in the area are full to the brim.

An Alam Flora truck shows up to remove rubbish from the roadside, prompting the crowd to shout passionately, "Bersih, Bersih".

There is a group of artists playing music with their musical instruments, attracting a man from the crowd to dance to the music.

7.34am: Police have erected roadblocks in major roads leading into the Kuala Lumpur city centre in the bid to stop protesters from congregating in Dataran Merdeka at 2pm today.

Roadblocks are reported in Ampang Elevated Highway, Jalan Tun Razak, Jalan Mahameru, Jalan Pudu, Jalan Bangsar and Jalan Tun Sambathan.

Bersih 3.0 organisers are advising participants to get to the city early and to take public transport. However, expect some of the train stations in the city centre, especially Masjid Jamek, Pasar Seni, Hang Tuah, KL Sentral and KLCC, to be closed later today.

Tens of thousands are expected to take to the streets of Kuala Lumpur in a rally dubbed 'Bersih 3.0' to demand, among others, electoral reform and the resignation of the Election Commission.

There was a spontaneous rally late last night near Dataran Merdeka, which drew a crowd of 2,000.
Protestors are gathering at six core locations, namely Jalan Sultan, Pasar Seni, Masjid India, Masjid Negara, Brickfields and KLCC with other additional points around the vicinity.

Bersih 3.0 protestors at KLCC are expected to be joined by Himpunan Hijau 3.0 supporters which will first march to the Australian High Commission to protest the RM700 million rare-earth processing plant in Gebeng, Kuantan by Australian-based company Lynas before proceeding to Dataran Merdeka.

Protestors are already gathering at 8am at Jalan Sultan to support a pre-rally video shoot opposing the MyRapid Transit (MRT) project which will cut through the historical street.

All protesters will eventually move towards Dataran Merdeka, a venue which the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has banned for demonstrations and have pre-empted the rally by sealing it off with barricades and barb wires.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Mohamad Salleh had also announced yesterday that demonstrators may gather at their locations but barred them from marching, an order protestors are expected to defy.

Police have also obtained a court order barring the public from entering Dataran Merdeka.

Bersih 3.0 organiser had yesterday said they will respect the court order but will try to get "as close as possible" to the iconic square and still harbours hope that the police will allow a last minute goodwill gesture for demonstrators to occupy the site for a sit-in protest.  

[More to follow]