KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 — Authorities today charged 33 activists with illegal assembly over last month’s protest against the Election Commission (EC) outside Parliament that later turned unruly.

Among those hit with charges under section 143 of the Penal Code were student activists Adam Adli Abdul Halim and Safwan Anang, PKR Youth leader Badrul Hisham Shaharin, and retired teacher Anne Ooi Swee Lan who had been given the moniker “Auntie Bersih” after she shot into the public eye in the July 9, 2011 Bersih rally in the national capital.

All 33 pleaded not guilty to causing public nuisance and participating in an illegal assembly for demonstrating outside Parliament House here on June 24, after they were barred from entering Parliament to submit a memorandum demanding the resignation of the Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof.

If convicted, they will be sentenced to jail for up to six months, or fined, or both.

Of those charged, 17 also face a second charge under section 147 of the Penal Code for rioting during the same protest.

If found guilty under section 147, the 17 would end up behind bars for up to two years, or be penalised with a fine, or both.

They were later granted RM2,000 bail each with a single surety.

Sessions Court judge Mat Ghani Abdullah set the trial date for on August 19, which will be heard by another judge who is yet to be named.

The 33 who were charged are:

. Norazimah Mohamad Nor
. Muhammad Aliff Hafiz Zainuddin
. Ahmad Shauqie Abdul Aziz
. Muhammad Al Fateh Abdul Adzis
. Ahmad Syukri Che Abdul Razab
. Moham Yaser Sheikh Abdul Rahman
. Muhammad Aiman Zainal Arifin
. Lim Sue Pei
. Mah Chee Hoe
. Tong Chan Sang
. Abdullah Hassan
. Muhammad Akram Ahmar
. Muhammad Hafizuddin Yahya
. Mohd Zairi Shafa-ai
. Mohd Sofian Mat Dali
. Mohd Mus-ab Abdul Habib
. Ahmad Hizami Mohd Hazir
. Muhammad Safwan Anang
. Mythreyar Mutturamalinggam
. Lew Chee Kong
. Ungku Amer Faez Ungku Fauzie
. Hong Chee Wang
. Norazizi A Aziz
. Annie Ooi Siew Lan
. Shariful Azmir Mustafa
. Amirul Syazwan Narzaruddin Jamil
. Edy Noor Reduan
. Md Sani Md Shah
. Wan Noor Faril Azli Wan Haron
. Mohd Fauzy Moh Yusof
. Badrul Hisham Shaharin
. Adam Adli Abdul Halim 
. Ekhsan Bukharee Badarul Hisham

The 33 accused were represented by a team of lawyers led by Eric Paulsen, and included Michelle Yesudas, Haijan Omar, Radzlan Jalaludin, Latheefa Koya, P.G Cyril and Farhana Halim.

Deputy public prosecutor Faziah Mohd Salleh represented the government.

The 33 accused were also participants who had camped at city field, Padang Merbok, after the “Black 505” rally finale on June 22.

The “Black 505” was led by the Pakatan Rakyat opposition to protest the outcome of the May 5 general election that saw the Barisan Nasional coalition retain their decades-long hold on to federal power.

The PKR-DAP-PAS opposition pact had accused the EC of committing electoral fraud.