Hundreds gather as anti-Lynas rally kicks off

(TMI) – Several hundred anti-Lynas protesters decked in green have begun gathering at the MPK 4 field here, marking the start of the largest rally yet against the controversial rare earth plant. 

Braving the hot sun, demonstrators of all ages and races — some from as far as Sarawak — converged on the rugby field along Jalan Besar to show opposition to the plant in nearby Gebeng, which will go online later this year. 

A light-hearted mood prevails, with some taking their breakfast on picnic mats while others have brought their young children along. 

They are joined by key opposition leaders and civil rights activists, such as Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh and national laureate A. Samad Said, who arrive at the protest venue to heavy beats from Chinese drums.

The rally — the first major demonstration since the Public Assembly Bill was made into law — aims to pressure government into aborting Lynas’s controversial plant in Gebeng some 25km from here, which is due to fire up later in the year. 

Simultaneous rallies will also be held in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Perak and Sabah.