KUALA LUMPUR: Police fired water cannon to disperse red shirt protesters in front of Kota Raya after they turned unruly.
The irritated protesters, who demanded entry into Petaling Street, so that they could march to Padang Merbok, hurled stones and bottles, hitting several policemen.
The Federal Reserve Unit (FRU), in reacting to maintain peace, sounded a bell twice before deploying the water cannons at around 4.50pm.
The sounding of the bell is usually both a sign for members to form up as well as a warning for those facing them to disperse.
The disturbance was believed to have been partly caused by the arrests of two protesters.
Federal Territories Umno chief Mohd Razlan Rafii told police that he believed the disturbance was caused by saboteurs paid to provoke both police and participants.
Perkasa President Tan Sri Mohd Ali Rustam said those involved in the disturbance were not among the red shirt rally participants.
"It is a sabotage made by third party to create chaos in the name of Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu.
"Police should investigate and if any are caught, it is on them," he said.
Sungai Besar Umno Division Chief Datuk Jamal Yunos said the red shirt rally is only for peace and unity as they do not want to incite any chaos.
Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) reinforcements were despatched to the Kota Raya area as a precautionary measure as the red shirts, numbering about 3,000, tried unsuccessfully to force their way through and even hurled firecrackers at authorities.
Some red shirts protesters entered Kota Raya, but finding the shops there shuttered, exited to say they would finally begin marching toward Padang Merbok.
At Padang Merbok Tan Sri Annuar Musa read the Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu's resolution
Among the resolution were the fight for Malay spirit and defending the parliamentary democracy.
Earlier, the protesters at Petaling Street numbered just 500, but their numbers swelled when they were joined by some of those who had gathered in Bukit Bintang.
About 10,000 protesters had been in Bukit Bintang but broke into two groups, one headed down Jalan Sultan Ismail while the other headed, according to them, to Padang Merbok through Jalan Bukit Bintang, taking them past Plaza Low Yat, the scene of a disturbance in July after handphone traders caught a thief and handed him over to the authorities.
Two people from the latter group were seen to be detained by police, though no official word has been received from the force over the arrests.
The red shirt protesters had broken through the police cordon in Jalan Raja Chulan to march towards Bukit Bintang at about 1.30pm, shouting “Bukit Bintang! Bukit Bintang!” and demanding to be allowed to march there.
Hundreds of police and FRU officers lined the streets of Petaling Street, Low Yat Plaza and Pudu Sentral, keeping a close watch on protesters dressed in red T-shirts and carrying banners and placards.
Police have declared that the rally is legal, but have said three areas – Bukit Bintang, Petaling Street and the area around Low Yat Plaza – are off-limits to the protesters.
Thousands of other rally goers were already at Padang Merbok since noon listening to speeches and poetry recitals, joining the likes of National Silat Federation president Tan Sri Mohd Ali Rustam, Umno executive secretary Abdul Rauf Yusoh, Kinabatangan member of parliament Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin, Pekida Malaysia president Jamaludin Yusof and Umno Information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan and Pas Youth chief Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz
Rally-goers had, in fact, started heading towards the federal capital as early as 8am. However, the numbers only started earnestly growing about 11am at the several rally points located throughout the city.
About 200 buses ferrying 8,000 people gathered at Masjid Negara, carrying the Jalur Gemilang and placards written “Menolak campur tangan asing” (Reject foreign intervention) and “Pertahankan Hak Melayu” (Defend Malay rights).
Most rally-goers at Masjid Negara convened at the mosque were from Terengganu and arrived in Kuala Lumpur as early as 4am today.
Masjid Negara is one of the four assembly points of the rally. Other assembly points are the Federal Territories Mosque, Putra World Trade Centre and Kuala Lumpur Craft Complex.