Cops Question Activists At Palestine Rally Over Sensitive Blackrock Placard

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Two activists who held up placards to protest the sale of Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) shares to a Blackrock-linked company during the Free Palestine Rally yesterday ended up being questioned by police.
M Mythreyar said he and a friend, who requested anonymity, attended the government’s rally in Bukit Jalil yesterday in solidarity with the cause for a free Palestine, but police had stopped them when they were trying to leave.
The 46-year-old, who last month held a nine-day hunger strike to oppose the deal, said this was over the appearance of Blackrock on their placards which police claimed was a “sensitive” word.
The duo had earlier held up placards with one saying “Tolak perjanjian Blackrock” and “Reject The Blackrock Agreement”.
The other sign made out of cardboard read - “Walk the talk and drop Blackrock”.
Mythreyar told Malaysiakini security guards allowed them to enter the stadium at 8pm after checking their bags with the placards inside.
"We moved to the ground floor where people were sitting.
“Both of us silently stood and just raised our placards,” he said.
At around 9.15pm, they walked closer to the stage.
“That was around the time PMX (Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim) arrived, maybe he saw a bit of our placard, or maybe he did not,” Mythreyar added.
PM Anwar Ibrahim speaking at the rally last nightReleased after an hour
Their trouble with the authorities started when they tried to leave, said Mythreyar who revealed that a group of stadium security and one plainclothes police personnel accosted them on the stadium stairs.
"The security guard attempted to snatch my friend’s placard, and when she resisted, they escorted us out.
“The SB (plainclothes police) asked for our IC, but my friend refused and first asked him to show his police ID.
“The SB then called more people and then six to seven uniformed police officers surrounded us,” he said.
At this point, Mythreyar said his friend attempted to record the situation, but was forced to delete the video or threatened with arrest under the Communications and Multimedia Act 2008.
"The police asked us to show our placards. They said it was not a criminal offence but the word Blackrock is ‘sensitive’,” he added.
The duo eventually agreed to provide the police with their MyKad, after which they were taken to a mobile police van, and later back into another room in the stadium where there were four other uniformed police personnel.
In the room, Mythreyar said they were questioned further and their photographs with their placards were taken “like criminals”.
He added they were released from the room after close to an hour.
Nothing compared to Zahid’s gaffe
Commenting on the incident, PSM central committee member S Arutchelvan drew parallels between actions against the duo and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s verbal gaffe and subsequent apology after he accidentally chanted support for Israel.
“Zahid shouted ‘Hidup Israel’ (Live Israel) instead of ‘Hidup Palestine’.
"Now imagine what would have happened if a common Malaysian made the same mistake or even worse, if a non-Malay accidentally said it. Definitely they will be arrested and charged,” he claimed.
DPM Ahmad Zahid HamidiDescribing Zahid’s mistake as an embarrassment, Arutchelvan also likened the deputy prime minister to US president Joe Biden who had mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” while speaking to reporters about Nato’s support for Ukraine.
“What is really upsetting to me is when police detained temporarily two pro-Palestine activists at the same rally for displaying placards calling on Putrajaya to cancel an agreement with Blackrock.
“I think we need to respect Article 10 on freedom of expression in our Federal Constitution.
“What the two pro-Palestine activists did was within their legal rights and the government, the police and organisers owe them an apology,” he said.
Last night’s rally organised by the federal government together with several NGOs saw over 10,000 gathered to show Malaysia's solidarity with the plight of Palestinians and to condemn the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. - Mkini

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