EYEWITNESS Thousands upon thousands,

Marching, walking, wheeling

together.

NONE A familiar strain - Negaraku.

We stop. Stand in reverence

A flag waves in our hearts

We sing -

My country.

Yes, it's the mine of all of us.

Pride. Elation.

We walk walk walk together.

The police - they stand

In angry gear;

Beastly batons,

Menacing tanks,

Aiming straight at us

guns loaded with terror-smoke.

A leader emerges "All sit!", he exhorts "Semua duduk!",

His voice is echoed by others

mini-leaders ; the concerned;

thousands follow -

a sea of squatting citizens,

hopeful - ever hopeful,

that the guards will part,

and the sea of us

will flow.

A voice is heard -

we want peace

Softly at first

then stronger

We join "We want peace"

We chant we chant

The quiet strength builds

Peace - yes, that's what we want

NONE Bang! Bang! Bang!

They aim for us

Without warning

The anger is shot out at us

The us that has asked for peace;

why do they hate us?

why are they so angry?

Smoke - bitter, burning smoke

Searing; stinging; tearing

Everywhere!

Oh God - in my eyes,

my throat

my mouth,

my lungs

It burns, it burns!

Run - we try to run NONE

Scrambling;

Screaming for salt

Water

Mercy.

Eyes shut,

Arms reaching out for help

Someone hands the salt

Water is thrown

We choke

and gag.

The heavens

thank God for the heavens

and the rain pouring down

in solidarity

with the mass of people

united for peace,

attacked for it.

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Tear gas 'treat' at Tung Shin Hospital

For once, I did not feel alone

July 9: Exorcising the ghost of May 13

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Why Daddy chose to stand with the crowd

Bersih rally was 1Malaysia in action

One Bersih Malaysia is here

Born-again Malaysian

March towards justice

Kid gloves? Najib, were you there?

Bersih births unity out of pain

Bersih 2.0: Arrested and sent to Pulapol

'Dataran Maybank has become my Tahrir Square'

Merdeka when I was six, true democracy at 60?

The standoff at Puduraya and Tung Shin Hospital

Bersih KL Sentral chronicle: The group that got away

KATRINA JORENE MALIAMAUV was among the participants at the BERSIH 2.0 rally who were shot at from multiple directions by teargas, right after they started singing "we want peace".

Along with hundreds of other people, she sought shelter in the grounds of Tung Shin and Chinese Maternity Hospital, where she witnessed in horror as teargas and water cannons were fired straight into the compound, and police employing brutal force stormed in and arrested peaceful ralliers.

She asks you - what kind of a government shoots tear gas at unarmed citizens, sitting on the ground, asking for peace?

This series relates eyewitness accounts of the Bersih 2.0 July 9 rally in Kuala Lumpur for clean and fair elections.