KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 — Organisers of the #KitaLawan rallies to support jailed Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will proceed with this Saturday’s edition despite recent arrests and without giving police the notice required under the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA).

Jingga 13 chief and PKR member Fariz Musa, who was arrested over a previous rally, insisted that police approval was not necessary and the event will take place regardless of authorities’ views.

“No matter whether or not the police allow it, we will continue on March 28,” he said during a press conference at Dataran Merdeka here today.

“At this point, no,” he said, when asked if the police had been notified of the planned event.

Last April, the Court of Appeal ruled it unconstitutional to criminalise spontaneous public assemblies in breach of a 10-day notice required under Section 9(1) of the PAA, and also ordered that Section 9(5) — which imposes a maximum RM10,000 fine for non-compliance — be struck out for running counter to the Federal Constitution.

Leading up to the rally, protesters will hold a sit-in at Dataran Merdeka along with a series of events, starting with the launch of the #PecatIGP campaign tonight, which translates to “Sack the IGP,” referring to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

“Until now, the IGP is still taking the same stance and they are still pressuring the youth leaders and Pakatan Rakyat leaders. Yesterday there were still over 20 people detained at the IPD Shah Alam and yesterday IGP also tweeted that Rocketkini will also be called for an investigation,” Selayang PKR organising secretary Chua Wei Kiat said.

Police arrested 79 people for protesting the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST) outside the Federal Territory Customs Complex on Monday, 25 of whom including two MPs were charged today.

“Since his actions are still continuing, starting tonight, AMK will mobilise from other states for youths to stay overnight here,” he added, referring to PKR’s Youth wing Angkatan Muda Keadilan by its abbreviation AMK.

Since Anwar’s sodomy conviction last month, Khalid and his police force have engaged in an apparent crackdown on dissent by lawyers, politicians and social activist movements.

An active user of Twitter himself, Khalid also regularly uses the social network to order the police to investigate individuals or groups, most recently being Lawyers for Liberty’s Eric Paulsen and Michelle Yesudas as well as DAP’s Tony Pua.

“Even though the youths are faced with many pressures and risks, we will continue with the sit-in protest at Dataran Merdeka until this Saturday,” PAS Youth treasurer Mohd Fakhrulrazi Mohd Mokhtar said.

“Violence towards the Bantah GST activists is also an indirect response to the insistence of the #KitaLawan youth that the Inspector-General of Police be fired,” he added.

The sit-in protest, which Chua estimates will draw up to 40 people, will last until the start of the #KitaLawan rally on Saturday.

Police have arrested at least 11 people over previous #KitaLawan rallies.