KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 — Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan arrived at the Bangsar LRT ahead of the Bersih 5 mass protest today, heavily guarded by at least four bodyguards.
Over 500 people have already gathered at Bangsar LRT station, the main meeting point before protesters march to Dataran Merdeka here.
“I miss her, but Maria may not be here physically, but she is here in spirit,” Ambiga told the crowd of yellow.
“We are all Maria, Mandeep, and all those who have been arrested. We go on, we go on,” added the former head of polls reform group, Bersih 2.0. “They are not afraid. Are we afraid?”
The crowd shouted “No!”
Bersih 2.0 chairman Maria Chin Abdullah and steering committee member Mandeep Singh were among some nine activists arrested last night.
The crowd at Bangsar chanted “Bersih, Bersih”, as Ambiga addressed them.
Bersih 5 is pushing for free and fair elections, a clean government and a stronger democracy. The pro-government Red Shirts movement is holding a counter rally.
The crowd at the Bangsar LRT station appeared to be mixed, although the Chinese and the Indians seemed to outnumber the Malays. Older people aged above 30 also seemed to outnumber the youths.
There were more Malay protesters at Masjid Negara, however.
About 200 to 300 more protesters headed towards the Bangsar LRT station from Jalan Tun Sambanthan.
