KUALA LUMPUR – Kepung Demi Palestin rally participants in front of the US embassy here have cleared the air with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) over an earlier enforcement notice ordering attendees to take down their tents.
In a message to Scoop, Muda secretary-general Amir Hariri Abdul Hadi said while the tents were taken down in the wee hours of this morning following the DBKL notice, they have since been reinstalled following negotiations with authorities.
“We took down the tents at around 3am (today), but we set them up again later in the morning. We’ve sent a letter to the Kuala Lumpur mayor and engaged with the Federal Territories Department.
“We haven’t had any problems today. Moving forward, I think that there should be no problems with us remaining here with our tents.”
In a tweet at 2.10pm, Amir shared a brief clip of the surroundings near the US embassy as rally-goers prepared placards in preparation for tonight’s event, which is set to feature poetry performances from activists and other figures.
Sekarang – menulis dan melukis mesej-mesej bersama Palestin.
— amirx abd hadi (@amirxabdhadi) December 27, 2023
Jemput datang bagi yang berkesempatan.#Kepung pic.twitter.com/STbYJ3KI7d
Previously, Scoop reported that DBKL had issued a notice at 3.09am today citing Section 46(1)(a) of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 in an attempt to order the removal of the tents, which are reportedly meant to symbolise Palestinians living in refugee camps.
The legislation states that it is an obstruction to erect any wall, fence, rail, post and others in a public place.
In videos shared with Scoop by a participant, former Batu MP Chua Tian Chang was seen having an argument with a few officers, saying that the authorities have no right to remove their personal belongings, including the tents.
Amir was also then visibly upset over DBKL’s order, saying that he was disappointed that the rally was not allowed to go on even though the participants were not blocking traffic or causing any ruckus.
Last night, on the first day of the rally’s planned six-day “blockade” outside the US embassy, police barred the participants from setting up any structures, including tents, in the vicinity of foreign embassies.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Allaudeen Abdul Majid said while police sympathised with the plight faced by the Palestinian people, authorities have a duty to ensure public order and safety.
Beginning at around 10pm last night, hundreds of demonstrators part of the rally organised by the Palestine Solidarity Secretariat and supported by 48 non-governmental organisations, including student movements and political organisations, had gathered near the US embassy to express their opposition to the Israeli military operations in Palestine.
In Gaza, at least 20,915 people have been killed and 54,918 wounded in Israeli attacks since October 7. Most of those killed are women and children.
More than 100 countries voted for a United Nations resolution for a ceasefire, while the United States has repeatedly vetoed UN Security Council resolutions on the same issue. – December 27, 2023