Sunday, April 29, 2012

The rally

Below is more of personal feelings than the official details of how the rally went into. It's an account from my standpoint and how I photographed the whole rally, well, not really the whole rally, because I've missed the riots and actions. If only I were alone that time, who knows? I might have joined in the frontliners and photographed those moments.

Somehow I had the sudden urge of becoming a photojournalist but I still doubted the feeling towards it. Never-ending of assignments and rush hours. For the love and passion for photography, why not?

I tried to make this into a black and white series, but I still found out that colour works great as well. Because there's so many green and yellow colours on the street, making it a very special rally. Basically this rally has two gathering points, one at KLCC and the other at PASAR SENI. There's also two groups with STOP LYNAS and BERSIH 3.0 protesters at respective venues. We will march towards DATARAN MERDEKA and together make a sit-in protest but thing went nasty starting at 3pm and worsen after that.

Well, I'll let the photographs do the talking.

PART I


the gathering


the gathering


mr. V on the move


police preparing to form a line



not forgetting the on going Stop LYNAS campaign


reporter on the move




fitness first, uncle, have to keep fit already


this group was saying that the guy is dead because of LYNAS


police force


this guy was showing the Hitler gesture while posing for the camera



the angry bird team from KLANG



two generations



even women were on the streets




the crowd of thousands


there's no more language barrier


I thought that was our "beloved" Mak Cik Rosmah(first lady), with her handbag which cost more than the price of a house


family run




reverse


our next generation


a new style of taking picture





student showing banner of STOP LYNAS campaign

Basically this is where we met up with the other groups. We then gathered with some of our friends and together with the other groups, we marched towards DATARAN MERDEKA (Freedom Square).

PART II



"Give back our voice", " Where is our freedom" were the words written on the tape


#OccupyDataran group of activists


the bridge at the place where we were gathering. We were suppose to sit in peacefully at Dataran Merdeka but the authorities said that the square is only for national event, which was a bunch of BS, and they formed barricades all over the area, simply to stop the people from going in. That's how absurd our government is.


We then decided to march to the other entrance to Dataran but police starts to form a line again to stop the crossover


Mr. Karpal Singh, a well known lawyer, in his wheelchair came for support




I can say that Malaysians are really creative


the police convoy reached and some were boo-ing at them



Chants could be heard, people were chanting slogans, shouting Bersih!(Clean) and all sorts of slogans. We were hoping for change, a fair and clean elections but the government would not want to adhere to these simple demands. We want reformation that's all!

PART III


This was when the FRU or riot police shot tear gas at the people, without any notice or warning. The crowd started to back off and we were all split into two huge groups. One into the nearby mosque, Masjid Jamek(national mosque), and the other just right opposite of us.


During the runaway, this foreigner was on his phone


the other group at the opposite



no further warning and there was the water canon followed by dozens of tear gas shot. The police boxed the people up by blocking the way and formed us into a huge group. We were trapped inside and they were happily shooting tear gas and water canon at us. They were suppose to disperse the people, but ended up making us into a huge group and attacked us.


one or two tear gas was shot into the mosque, but an uncle picked up and throw into the river just right below. We ran for hideout


one of my friend


still smiling even after the tear gas had us cried that lot


After the chaos and about 40 minutes we were trapped in the mosque, we finally got the permission to leave. These FRUs were right at the front door of the mosque, preparing for any instant action.


Just a few blocks away, the riot police started to shoot water canon at the people again. We did our part, so my group of friends decided to leave the area to a safer place. Things weren't that peaceful after hooligans tried to mess things up or was it the police? We hid ourselves in PUDU CENTRAL, a bus terminal while getting some rest after almost 10 hours of walk that day.


I went to the rally, not because I wanted to oppose the government, but because I'm a Malaysian, and wish to do something to make it a better place, a better country!

Cheers :)