Thousands rally in Kuala Lumpur for electoral reform

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 (Xinhua) -- At least 10,000 people congregated in downtown Kuala Lumpur Saturday to participate in a mass sit-in rally for electoral reform, and police fired water cannon and tear gas after some protesters broke through the barricades around the square where the rally was planned to be held.

The protesters gathered near Dataran Merdeka, or the Independence Square, with many chanting slogans for reforms.

Some protesters broke through the barricades around Dataran Merdeka, even after the organizers asked the crowd to remain calm and disperse.

Police then fired water cannon and tear gas to disperse the protesters, before arrested those remaining on the scene. At least a dozen of people were injured during the process.

The capital was in a lockdown since dawn as Dataran Merdeka was cordoned off with razor wire fences, and police deployed large force, water cannon trucks and helicopters to keep security.

A Kuala Lumpur court has barred the public from gathering or organizing any activities at Dataran Merdeka for 4 days commencing Saturday.

The organizer Bersih 3.0 chairman Ambiga Sreenevasan said earlier that they would not breach the police barricade and march as far as the authorities allows.

Prominent opposition figures including Anwar Ibrahim, a former Deputy Prime Minister, have joined the protest.

The group, Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 3.0) that consists of more than 80 non-governmental organizations held a similar rally on July 9 last year - one of the largest ever in the country, where tens of thousands of people marched to downtown Kuala Lumpur demanding a clean and fair election.