5,000-strong crowd at culmination of #KitaLawan rally

The #KitaLawan solidarity gathering in the city centre today attracted some 5,000 people from all walks of life who came together to make their voices heard over various issues that seemed to be plaguing the country.

The main agenda for the rally was undoubtedly solidarity for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is currently being held in Sungai Buloh Prison after being convicted of sodomy, but demonstrators also claimed to fight against other causes, including the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as well as the overall political landscape in Malaysia.

People began to throng the streets of Kuala Lumpur from 3pm. Despite the slight rain, they marched from Central Market towards Masjid Jamek and continued to Sogo KL before ending up at KLCC.

Throughout the march, colourful banners and placards were carried, with most bearing the words "Reformasi" and "KitaLawan".

Several groups within the crowd also chanted "Reformasi! Reformasi!" and sang a so-called anthem for reformation.

Somewhere throughout the rally, a couple of explosions were heard near Sogo KL. It was later learned that the noise came from several firecrackers that were lit. However, no injuries were reported.

As for crowd control, security by the police was observed to be smooth. The were no fights or arguments amongst the crowd. Traffic flow was also controlled in a satisfactory manner by the authorities.

Among those who were present at the rally include PKR president and Anwar's wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ibrahim, her daughters Nurul Izzah and Nurul Nuha, PKR vice-presidents Tian Chua and Rafizi Ramli, Dr Hatta Ramli of PAS, lawyer and human rights activist Datuk S. Ambiga, lawyers Eric Paulsen and Latheefa Koya, and activists Adam Adli and Hishamuddin Rais.

When asked about the rally turnout, Ambiga said: "Malaysians always rise to the occasion when needed. This shows how much people dislike what's going on in this country at the moment."

She said the numbers don't matter but the message has to be conveyed. People need to exercise their rights and voice their unhappiness about the happenings in the country, she added.

As for Paulsen, he was happy to note that the rakyat is clear of their rights -- the right to assemble peacefully and freely.

He commended the police for a job well done in securing the crowd despite the short notice.

He further expressed hope that the police would continue to set politics aside in future rallies and facilitate as they did today.