Red Shirt debacle: chronology of events
The Third Force
Following is an abstraction of events as they had unfolded today, the 16th of September, 2015, in what has since come to be known as the ‘red shirt rally’. The purpose of this article is to list in chronological order the activities of a core group of participants who were led, among others, by Dato’ Rizuan Abdul Hamid.
(Note: times stated are approximate)
11.30 am : A core group of some 18,000 persons made headway for Jalan Conlay after having assembled at Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan.
1.20 pm: Crowd grows in size and approximated at 20,000 participants, clad in red tee shirts. On the ground reports by several persons likened the horde as a stream of ‘Mat Rempits’. No untoward incident was reported, while the crowd appeared well composed and disciplined.
1.25 pm. Group intended to parade through Starhill Mariott Pavillion and Bukit Bintang Plaza, but was denied entry into the Bukit Bintang area by riot police. Group insists that their concern in the area was friendly.
1.51 pm: Riot police were seen standing by with tear gas dischargers. However, no untoward incident was reported. By this hour, the criss-crossing of messages via internet based services jammed internet lines and made communication via WhatsApp a chore in some instances.
1.58 pm: Crowd got a little unruly as protesters began tossing some rubbish and empty mineral water bottles, apparently towards the riot police. However, the police did not retaliate and remained well composed, armed and guarded.
2.04 pm: The crowd was allowed a pass through barricades and moved towards Starhill Mariott Pavillion.
2.08 pm: The crowd advanced towards Low Yat Plaza, but were blocked by police personnel manning the area. Some protesters were seen using alternative routes but were checked elsewhere and barred from entering the premise.
2.20 pm: The crowd stood at a standstill along the road leading to Low Yat Plaza. Several factions that rolled back were asked to string along the road leading to the Plaza as hope of a solution was communicated among them.
2.24 pm: The crowd allowed to proceed towards Low Yat Plaza, but were disrupted some miles ahead by the police, who refused to let them march forward. The crowd found itself at a standstill once again amid chants of “Masuk! Masuk!” Tensions were beginning to simmer.
2.28 pm: The crowd cleared second blockade and headed straight for Plaza Low Yat. At this juncture, crowd appeared well composed and showed no signs of xxx
2.36: The crowd was met yet again by riot police who erected a blockade. The whisper was of an attempt by the police to allow several business owners within Plaza Low Yat to draw the shutters for the day before allowing protesters in.
2.39: Two protesters were hauled into a parked police truck.
2.40: Protesters taunt the police by chanting “Buka! Buka!”, insisting that the van doors be opened and that the captives be released. They were also heard encouraging the crowd to topple the police truck.
2.44: The ploice blockade appeared to be impregnable while protesters started goofing around in vicinity. It was another standstill at best.
2.47: The crowd began heading for Petaling Street, another commercial area dense with Chinese traders.
2.59: The crowd approached Menara Maybank and moved towards Pudu Bus Station
3.13: Yet another standstill was occasioned, this time around the Pudu scene. Another blockade had prevented the crowd from forging ahead. The procession appeared to lose steam, with the number of participants dwindling to 8,000 to 9,000 persons.
3.19: Police asks participants to sit on the ground.
3.34: Many from the crowd began rolling back, while those who remained appeared disillusioned. Several others made way for Padang Merbok.
3.45: The riot police warned the crowd to disperse. An unknown person, seen to be directing the rather temperamental mob summons participants to disperse and reassemble at Padang Merbok. But the crowd was obstinate and appeared to wage a higher ground.
3.52 pm: A very small explosion was heard, the source of which is yet unknown to me. The crowd appeared tense and somewhat irritable.
3.54 pm: A second warning delivered by the Federal Reserve Unit for the crowd to disperse. It is not within my immediate knowledge when the first warning was delivered.
4.00 pm: Several factions who appeared to take charge were persuading the crowd to disperse and reassemble in Padang Merbok, to no avail. The crowd was heard chanting “Masuk! Masuk!” instead, implying that they wanted to stretch the trek straight into Petaling Street and perhaps beyond.
4.20 pm: The crowd grows larger as groups from other areas trickle in. Yet, the estimated number of participants near the Pudu scene was stagnant at 8,000 persons. Logic has it that the number of retreats paralleled that of new arrivals.
4.30 pm. The number of participants was estimated at 5,000 to 6,000 persons, despite there being arrivals from other groups.
4.57 pm: The FRU forms barricades and secures the area before firing water cannons on the crowd. Participants scamper to safety and effectively start dissipating from the scene.
Note: As a point of interest, funds that were allotted to each UMNO division were estimated at RM 15-20k, used to raise manpower and possibly for other logistical concerns.
