Whilst some experienced a fairly peaceful demonstration like Marina Mahathir's experience that you can read HERE, others may not be as lucky.
I post you a first hand experience of a friend who prefers to remain anonymous and therefore I shall honor his wish...did I say "his"..oh sorry..it may be a "her"...who knows right?
Before that, I put my hats off and thank those who dared march a rally, even they knew the risks, but did it anyway for what they feel as betterment for our country. If there is a OneMalaysia portrayed that day, it's got to be at the Bersih 2.0 rally.
The government had handled Bersih 2.0 very poorly, steps taken way early from the event of Bersih 2.0 itself, included arresting people in yellow shirts. If the Digi customers ever wondered why the Digi transmission was poor if not interrupted, well, here's why:
This Digi fler got nabbed on the way to a road show....But they never learn...
These are some of the pictures that I uploaded from Tweeter Live feeds:
Some are peaceful:
Some police and demonstrators recognize that both parties are there because "they did what had to be done", and so they parted their separate ways peacefully and honorably.
Above: Even with a brace at hand, it did not deter activist, Marina Mahathir from joining the rally. Below: The Malaysian flag looks more meaningful here than during the Merdeka day parade....
Then.....there's mostly the just down right ugly.....
Above: Tear gas had been fired from even before the rally actually started...excessive and unnecessary force used on unarmed citizens...
Really, that much force needed on someone who weighs like neglible weight?
Unarmed, innocent people are bombarded with water canon...
They were not spared even as they ran to seek refuge in Tung Shin Hospital
If a picture paints a thousand words, this one takes away the trophy.........I salute you auntie!!
Meanwhile, some Pre Bersih megalomaniac was struggling to get into his Super Zero outfit. Failing to do so,instead, many speculated that he protested against Bersih 2.0 by joining PM at the Putrajaya, at the launch of the National Cooperatives Day 2011, a sign according to the annointed PM, of protest against Bersih 2.0...
And here is the article from my friend, narrating from his personal experience :
Najib today " There was no actual physical contact with the demonstrators..." This by the way from a PM who made sure he was out of town when what can only be called a major national crisis was in the offing....
I went for the rally guys. And it was brutal. As the reports said, people were walking peacefully to the stadium but the FRU had blocked the road at Jalan Hang Jebat. So we turned to Jalan Pudu hoping to come in from Jalan Bukit Bintang. But the police had blocked Jalan Pudu as well. So everyone was hemmed in at Maybank. And the crowd swelled. There was no intention I believe to rally on the streets. There were repeated calls to head for the stadium but each and every time everyone was turned back. With everyone massed at the Maybank, Puduraya, Cahaya Suria intersection we were like hapless targets at a clay shoot.
And that I think was the intent. To keep everyone massed at one location so that they could a) claim it had become a street rally and b) Come in and brutalise an easy target.
They had planned for the violence from the outset, they had planned to herd the crowd like so much cattle into a pen, then storm in to beat abuse and ultimately intimidate people into suTbmission at one collective point. This from a supposedly democratic government. I saw despotism that day. Tyranny, barbarism. The only semblance of civil society was from the people massed there. Everyday individuals from all walks of life a lot of whom I spoke to. Teachers, Engineers. Not riff raff, notmalcontents. Everyday, decent Malaysians. Being herded to a fate planned for them by uniformed thugs as instructed by their masters who claim to govern us legitimately.
Once properly herded, the violence started. Not from the protesters who didn't so much as kick over a dustbin. Everyone was just milling around trying to figure out how to head for the stadium when they came in with tear gas and water cannon. And when people were running around helpless and screaming half blind and in pain they came in with their truncheons and started beating people up. Ten feet in front of me, I saw 5 count them 5 policemen pounce on this chap who was just standing there disoriented. They hit him repeatedly with their truncheons. That will leave a memory, the level of barbarism displayed. They were like rabid dogs attacking a hapless prey. And they were laughing and smiling as they swaggered about drunk with the power they felt they had over poor defenseless people.
The rest of the day was just more of the same. I managed to make it back to Petaling Street and tried to head back to the stadium but that avenue was still blocked off. And when we tried to head up Jalan Hang Jebat (irony there, heroes of our history witnessing cowardice of the highest order) the FRU started firing tear gas again. So we ducked down Jalan Sultan where we were blocked off at Pasar Seni. It was getting really ugly. They were just intent now on keeping protesters within the Petaling Street area. I was wondering why all the stores there were closed, every single one, and realised then that they must have been forewarned. It couldn't have been with the notice of the rally, these are hard core chinese traders who open 358 days in a year and shut down just those 7 days only for chinese new year. They were told...
Me and a small group of friends (Petra and Sheng were with me for awhile then we got separated) managed to duck into a Marrybrown chicken outlet and were then promptly locked in (before you laugh Pets was earlier locked into a McD). That light moment soon passed though as we witnessed right in front of us the police continually storming into the crowd and firing everything in their arsenal short of guns... Then going in and beating and arresting people. Laughing as they went about it....They didn't allow anyone out of the Petaling street area until they well and truly had their way with them. Only then did they back off and let people head out.....
It was an uplifting day to see people, everyday people come out and stand up for what they believed in. It brought down my levels of cynicism no end as I realised there were a lot of people who did not like the rot and weren't apathetic about it. But it was a depressing day to think that our government could stoop so low to hand and act so disgracefully all to ensure that they could continue to rule illegitimately.... We truly have an uphill task ahead of us.....
BERSIH
When the world turn their back on you, you show your butt to them...
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