At least 16 anti-Lynas protestors were arrested for refusing to budge from the entrance of Lynas' rare earth processing plant in Gebeng, Kuantan.

Among those arrested included Himpunan Hijau chief Wong Tack (left in photo) , steering committee member Dr Phua Kia Yaw and DAP firebrand speaker Hew Kuan Yau, popularly nicknamed 'Superman'.

Also nabbed was Australian activist Natalie Lowrey, who represents Friends of the Earth who was there to support the protesters.

They were taken to the Kuantan police district headquarters.

Some 1,000 people had converged at the entrance of the factory with around 300 vehicles as early as noon in a blockade of the plant to demand for its closure.

This was despite police obtaining an injunction against protesters yesterday preventing them from being within 20 metres of the factory.
 
However, about 50 federal reserve unit forces backed by water cannon trucks formed a barrier some 300 metres from the entrance of the factory.
 
They were supported by about 100 ordinary police officers.

Rooted to the road

 
Police then instructed the protesters to disperse but a stalemate ensued despite Wong's 30-minute negotiation with the police at 3pm for permission to approach the factory.

 

The situation became tense as neither side was willing to concede, with protesters rooting themselves on the road.
 
At around 4.30pm, Kuantan police chief Abdul Aziz Salleh issued an ultimatum, ordering the crowd to disperse within 10 minutes.
 
However, a defiant Wong said, "We will not budge from here."
 
The temperature increased as there was some pushing between protesters and the police line, prompting police to arrest two of them.
 
Subsequently, Abdul Aziz announced the protesters' time was up.
 
"If you do not want to disperse, then I have no choice but to have you arrested," he said before instructing his men to do so.
 
Several of the protesters seated on the ground were then arrested by police and taken to Kuantan district police headquarters (IPD).

The protestors then started moving away from protest area, with some believed to be have headed to the IPD in solidarity with those detained.

Wong had earlier vowed that protestors will not leave the factory entrance until the plant is shut down.