Unfazed by arrests and a raid on their office, the Yellow Shirts or the Bersih 2.0 protesters kicked off a landmark rally against Najib Razak government in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
As planned the the pro-government Red Shirts also took out the march to Dataran Merdeka, supporting the government. While the Bersih 5 protesters chanted "Bersih, bebas" as they marched, the Red Shirts were chanting "Allahu-Akbar", according to Malay Mail. The latest reports say the police stopped the Red Shirts at Jalan Dang Wangi.
The protest in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday is the toughest challenge in recent times for Prime Minister Najib Razak and the Umno government. The Yellow Shirts are organising the protest demanding election reforms.
Initial estimates said there are more than 4,500 Yellow shirt supporters on the streets while the Red Shirts amounted to several hundreds.
The city went into lockdown as both the Yellow Shirts and the Red Shirts are organising protests in the Dataran Merdeka in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysian police raided the office of the Bersih 2.0 Yellow Shirt movement on Friday, saying it was in line with a law prohibiting acts undermining parliamentary democracy.
Among those arrested on Friday were activists Mandeep Singh and Maria Chin Abdullah. Yellow Shirts leader Ambiga Sreenevasan, who arrived at the rally accompanied with several bodyguards, said the movement missed the presence of those arrested.
"We are all Maria, Mandeep, and all those who have been arrested. We go on, we go on ... They are not afraid. Are we afraid?:, she asked, accoding to the Malay Mali.
