COMING TO YOU LIVE FROM THE DATARAN MERDEKA "BUNKER".

PEOPLE, Its been a fulfilling day. Thanks to Vanitha and Shanghai Stephen who provided on the scene happenings to this blog. Appreciate too the Malaysiakini live feed and photo gallery. Signing off from the Bunker as I have been called to the Long Bar. I will drink to the thousands of Malaysians who came out to say to the Government:

We came out because you still want to CHEAT!

MY PRAYERS WILL BE FOR THOSE WHO ARE ARRESTED.

6.25pm:

Masjid Jamek - FRU trucks were deployed to control situation at Masjid Jamek.

6:24pm:

Jalan Tun Perak - At the Jalan Parliament junction a large number of protestors are still gathered, taunting the over 1,000 policemen present, who retaliate by chasing them in a cat-and-mouse game.

6.22pm:

Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad - Malaysiakini witnesses a delegation of police special forces in their cars.

The convoy is forced to U-turn near Masjid Jamek when met with a hostile reception from protestors, who throw shoes and objects at them. Windows of two cars are smashed in the process.

6pm:

Jalan TAR - Hundreds of police are at Jalan TAR, that is congested because of the roadblocks.

Motorists sound their horns continuously, forcing the police to disperse and regroup at the Jalan Tun Perak junction. They begin to allow traffic through.

5.50pm:

Batu MP Tian Chua and Prof Dr Abdul Aziz Bari, former law lecturer, have been arrested.

"Now I'm arrested, police hit us as we were dragged thru rows of rowdy officers - many got beaten up after being arrested," reads Chua's tweet.

5.45pm:

Masjid Jamek - Some protesters still want to push into Dataran Merdeka, but the police return and give chase. A number of protesters are arrested. Some of the protesters throw shoes and bottles at the police.

5.34pm:

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said that the lost police pistol has been found. He tweets:

"2 policemen injured & admitted. Snatched police pistol was recovered."

5.30pm:

Dataran Merdeka - A Malaysiakini journalist is detained along with around 200 protestors and another journalist, all of whom are being held at Selangor Club.

His camera and memory card have been confiscated and is punched by the police once.

250,000 at Bersih 3.0, Ambiga claims success

7,000 including Penang CM rally at Esplanade

More than 3,000 gather in Johor

530PM

Just returned from the road opposite RSC entrence. Close to 100 aressted were made to sit on the road in two groups. Amongst them was Professor Bari and about 10 women.

Visu and Ashok distributed can drinks to the arrested.

Tian Chua questioned the treatment meted out to some. He was pushed from behind by a cop and that angered the crowd inside RSC and those seated on the road rose up to protest.

Awaiting uploading of pictures.

MALAYSIAKINI FEEDBACK

5:13pm:

Jalan TAR - The situation in Jalan TAR appears to be calm after a FRU truck retreated. There is no police presence along the road from Maju Junction to Pertama Complex.

Some of the protesters could be seen heading back towards Dataran Merdeka.

The area in front of Bar Council building is now deserted as most of the protesters have dispersed.

But there are still protesters in two main areas - from Masjid Jamek to Dataran Maybank and those in Jalan TAR.

5.12pm:

Jalan Pudu, near Dataran Maybank - The back window of a car was shattered, with the protesters saying that it was caused by a tear gas canister fired by FRU.

5.00pm:

Detainees are being held at the Police Training Centre (Pulapol) in Kuala Lumpur.

4.55pm:

Masjid Jamek - Hundreds of people are trapped inside the Masjid Jamek mosque. Police have blocked the entrance to the mosque compound.

4.50pm:

According to an official post on the police Facebook page, a pistol was stolen during a melee near the Sogo shopping mall.

"The public is advised to be cautious of any eventualities," read the post.

4.30pm:

Jln Petaling - Close to Pasar Raya 1 Supermart seven policemen apprehend and stomp on a protestor.

4.27pm:

Dataran Maybank - Angry protesters throw empty water bottles at a passing police van.

4:23pm:

Jalan TAR - A police vehicle allegedly hits two protestors in front of Sogo shopping centre, injuring them.

An angry crowd surrounds the police vehicle which has been abandoned, and overturns it.

4.21pm:

Masjid Jamek - A man faints near Masjid Jamek and he is helped by the Bersih medical team as well as PAS Unit Amal, who carried him to HSBC bank beside the river for treatment.

Both the Bersih medical team and the government’s Jabatan Pertahanan Awam (Public Defence Department) attend to the man while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

4.20pm:

Petaling Street - Police fire water cannons in the direction of protestors at Jln Petaling and Jln HS Lee. The protestors run helter skelter but continue shouting “Bersih” at the cops near them.

4:10pm –

Jalan TAR - A group of protesters sit along the closed Jalan TAR road. An ice-cream seller is doing a roaring business as protesters seek to quench their thirst.

FRU fire chemical-laced water at them in front of Kamdar department store along Jalan TAR.

4.04pm:

Earlier, a number of reporters standing behind the FRU get pushed by the police towards the protestors while tear gas is being fired, exposing them to the acrid gas.

3.58pm:

A 35-year-old man suffers difficulty in breathing near Dataran Maybank from the tear gas attacks. He recovers after a medical team attends to him.

3.58pm:

Masjid Jamek - Hundreds of protestors are resting at the park behind Masjid Jamek to recover from the water cannon and tear gas attacks.

MORE PICS HERE

335pm

RODI snapped pics of scores of arrested Bersih participants from across Selangor Club entrance.

MALAYSIAKINI REPORTS:

3.29pm:

Bar Council - After orders to disperse are issued, water cannon and tear gas are fired at the crowd outside the Bar Council building at Lebuh Pasar Besar.

3.24pm:

Masjid Jamek - In front of the LRT Bersih the crowd refuses to budge and shout “Bersih” despite tear gas being fired at them. Prior to the attack the crowd had back up a few metres but are now determined to advance.

3:20pm:

Dataran Merdeka - The barb wires at Lebuh Pasar Besar removed by protestors. They then moved the plastic barricades aside.

Some 30 police officers armed with batons, shield and gas mask move in to form a phalanx.

Protestors and police are now face to face without anything in between them. Some are posing for photographs while others sit on the road facing the police.

The police field commander for the area sits atop a police truck with a loudhailer but he has yet to issue any orders.

3.15pm:

Dataran Merdeka - Police say they are forced to fire tear gas canisters because the crowd tried to dismantle their barricade to Dataran Merd

310PM

TEAR GAS AND WATER CANON DEPLOYED

Masjid Jamek - More tear gas fired near Masjid Jamek LRT station. It is understood that several protestors who tried to breach the Dataran Merdeka cordone has been arrested.

Jalan TAR - A round of tear gas is fired at protestors who are at the Jalan TAR - Jalan Tun Perak junction. The police also unleash chemical-laced water from its water-cannon truck stationed there.

It is believed that some of the demonstrators have breached the Dataran Merdeka area that has been declared off-limits by the court.

Pasar Seni - The crowds begin to disperse at the Bar Council, estimated now around 5,000. A spirited group remain in front of the barricades and barbed wire separating the crowd from Dataran Merdeka across the river. Behind the barricade some 80m away FRU trucks loom.

Around 50 FRU are standing by. The crowds shout Bersih slogans including “Hancur Rosmah” and “Buka Pintu” (End to Rosmah, Open the door).

309pm

100,000 - THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN

UMNO LAP DOGS EC CHIEF AND DEPUTY SHOULD RESIGN

300pm

MCA Kelana division commitee member Lee Hwa Beng is spotted near the McDonalds outlet.

He says that he joined the rally in his personal capacity and that MCA has made it clear that it will not bar members from participating.

Asked why he joined the rally, Lee quotes from his new book - PKFZ: A Nation's Trust Betrayed - that silence is no longer an option.

Asked if he is enjoying himself thus far, Lee replied, "I'm thirsty and hungry".

However, he was coy when asked if he is quitting MCA and joining another party. Lee is the former Subang Jaya state assemblyperson.

255pm

Bersih co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan speaking from a makeshift stage rovided by a lorry, says the rally has been a success and urged the crowd to disperse.

However, the unrelenting crowd replied by chanting "Dataran! Dataran!"

Prior to Ambiga's speech, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim told the crowd that the rakyat had made it clear that they will not tolerate dirty politics.

Anwar was part of the crowd which marched from Masjid Negara.

242pm

Vanitha reports that around the Dataran area, police sending signals by their bells for people to move away.

Shanghai Stephen asked if the figure will hit the target half million. He is so thrilled - mesmerised by the teeming yellow surge of people. He is looking forward to MSM reports on figure tomorrow.

Malaysian Insider claims it is only 20,000 when 75,000 already went up as a mark. Like Najib, MI have eyes but do not see!

237pm

Whole contingent of water cannon trucks lined up at Dataran Merdeka. Another yellow wave moving from Jalan Kinabalu towards DM.

224pm

210PM

RECENT PICS HERE

152pm

The huge crowd from Kota Raya and Petaling Street moves closer to Dataran. Both Kota Raya and Petaling Street are now empty.

The crowd closest to the barricade at Dataran Merdeka sit on the road, with more chanting "sit down" and joining in. Members from the PAS Unit Amal form a human wall in front of the police barricade.

A layer of barbed wire, plastic road barriers and metal fence, separate them from a police human wall of about 100 personnel. The FRU (riot police) with its water cannon trucks are on standby just beyond.

146pm

One hour before the Bersih 3.0 rally, there are an estimated 50,000 protestors scattered in different parts of Kuala Lumpur city centre.

Pudu/Kotaraya/Petaling Street (crowd marched from KLCC) - 20,000

Pasar Seni (merged with crowd from Brickfields) - 15,000

Masjid Jamek - 10,000

TAR/Jalan Tun Perak/Jalan Parliament - 10,000

Masjid Negara - 5,000

LUNCH BREAK

1246pm

A group of artists are performing under the Native Galaxy handycrafts shop, beating their drums while singing John Lennon's ‘Power to the People’.

1240pm

Banner outside DBKL says: FUAD, YOU ARE FUCKED! Will somebody take a pic of this before it is taken down.

1235pm

PTPTN students OCCUPY Bar Council. Posters read GIVE US BACK OUR VOICE! Bar Council pavement is now home to the students who had to vacate Dataran Merdeka.

1227pm

Shanghai Stephens: Bernard, I am in Petaling Street…..and geeze the crowd is fucking overwhelming alive! Why are you not answering my calls. Heading for where you are now….

1223pm

Vanitha says: Closest we can get to DM is Bar Council. Barbed wire barricade and the 50 cops are bombarded with Bersih slogans.

CLICK HERE FOR FOTO GALLERY

11.58am:

Brickfields - Protestors join hands to form a human chain to break through the policemen’s cordon, and successfully march ahead without much resistance from the policemen.

1153am

We want to sit down peacefully for 2 hours....that cannot....we sit on the street lah....sentiments expressed by the yellow wave at RSC entrance. The police have taken up post in the Club grounds as early at 7am.

1144am

'My conscience is clear. I've done all I can as home minister and Najib has done all he can for reforms.' Lan....ah never mind!

The yellow wave has taken over the streets at entrance to Selangor Club....great sight....police just looking on....am sure some of them feeling helpless....

1133am

Doreen says huge yellow wave marching from Pudu Raya to Central Market to the beat of kompangs!

1105am

V Doreen reports: LRT packed. Bersih medical team on standby + 2 ambulances at Central Market. Uncle SAMad poses with police and Bersihites amidst cheering and clapping.

1051am

At least 15k already in city centre (Mkini) KLCC 5k JlnSultan 4k MsjdJamek 2k MsjdNegara 1k Near DtrnMerdeka 3k .....TOTAL 30,000

900am

Breakfast time....be with you in a bit.

849am

The rakyat asked for just two hours and the government locked down Dataran Merdaka for 48 hours. How then can we give YOU another 5 years. Podah!

848am

Crowds massing around Jl Sultan, Brickfields and Tun Razak. Kedah colors Hijau Kuning invades KLCC.

810am

Met up with Dontplaypuks Shank....brought his family along...."I will not allow my kids to miss Bersih 3.0

745am

TN and I got thru into destination. PI crawling with cops....even in premises....housekeeper gave police a dressing down for using the staff rest room.

230am

Date: Saturday, April 28, 2012, 2:45 AM

Dear all

It was 12 midnite of 28th April…. I was there at dataran…the Bersih warriors began gethering and swelled up to 1000s of us. Sivakumar of Perak came and the chanting of “Hidup Bersih” throng the air. It was thrilling. U missed it if u are not here. It was only the beginning. By the next morning, we expect hundreds of thousand of loving and courageous Malays, Chinese and Indian to tell NAJIB and his corrupted cabinet ministers to come “clean” failing which we shall topple them either thro “pilihanraya” or “jalanraya”.

We are ready for the possible assault of tear gas, water cannon or the use of high acoustic device tomorrow.We said to ourselves: we will not come if we are fearful but if we hav come, we fear nothing. Courage doesn’t mean absence of fear but courage gives us strength to overcome the feeling of fear.

Personally, I am glad I made the decision to take part in the Bersih. I now understand why the Arabs were wiling to sacrifice their lives bcos I am, like them, utterly fed up with the NAJIS governmt and if I don’t walk on to the street this time, my grandson will blame me for not making a better Malaysia.
After BERSIH 3, I can safely say that ” I have not lived in vein”.

Hidup Bersih, Hidup Pakatan Rakyat.

- Chan.
2.30 am 28thApr 2012.