A tear gas canister which was fired by police yesterday into the crowd attending the 100,000 People's Gathering seemed to have been targeted at Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who was in a wheelchair due to a leg injury.

"A man sustained head injuries while trying to shield me from a tear gas canister which appeared to have me as its target," said Wan Azizah, who condemned the abuse of police power and government institutions to deny the people their rights and crush political dissent.

"Numerous eyewitnesses report that the police, especially the FRU, spared no sympathy and came down harsh and hard on the people. People who were not resisting the police were batoned and kicked and punched. Cars and motorcyles were badly damaged with many car windscreens needlessly smashed."

Azizah added that yesterday's gathering would not have resulted in any untoward incidents had it not been for the senseless and heavy-handed manner by which the police intervened and provoked the huge crowd.

"We call upon the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release those arrested as they were only exercising their constitutional right to gather peacefully. While in custody, those who are injured must be given proper medical attention," she said.

She urged that investigations be initiated by Suhakam and by an independent panel, into instances of police brutality throughout yesterday's impromptu gathering on the Kesas highway.

Crowd under control

Azizah also said that the intended site for the gathering was far from the any city centre or high security-risk areas.

"The presence of top leaders of Barisan Alternatif and other organisations also meant the crowd was under control," she said.

"The government must realise that in the wake of popular disaffection, it has to open up democratic space and allow the people to exercise their political and constitutional rights," she added.

Azizah lamented that yesterday's gathering would not have caused any inconvenience if the two original applications to have it in Stadium Bukit Jalil were allowed.

In September, Keadilan applied for the gathering to be held in Bukit Jalil but was twice rejected by the stadium management without any reasons given.

Azizah added that whatever unruliness and violence that were alleged to have resulted in the crowd should be entirely blamed on the unprofessional manner of the authorities in handling such situations.