The series of post-13th general election rallies are not an effort to overthrow the government, NGO Lawyers for Liberty spokesperson Michelle Yesudas said today.

The rallies, Michelle stressed, are an opportunity for citizens to have a collective voice against the government, after realising that there is a communication gap between the people and the authorities.

“What these rallies have done is that we came together. This is not about bringing down the government, this is how we start organising ourselves,” Michelle told a press conference.

She was commenting on the various protest rallies and the series of arrests and prosecution of activists and members of the Pakatan Rakyat leadership.

NONE Six leaders from Pakatan Rakyat were charged separately yesterday for organising the Black 505 rallies in their respective states without serving ample notice to the police.

On May 17, PKR communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad ( left ) also faced a similar charge of organising the Black 505 rally at Kelana Jaya on May 8.

In a related development, PKR vice-president Tian Chua, Anything But Umno (ABU) chief Haris Ibrahim and PAS member Tamrin Ghafar - along with student activist Adam Adli Abdul Halim - had been arrested for sedition.

Of this group, Adam Adli had been charged on May 23 with sedition.

NONE Also at the press conference was NGO Tenaganita director Irene Fernandez ( right ), who questioned the prosecution against rally organisers as well.

She said that if there had been a prosecution, it should be due to substantive offenses, and not based on technicalities such as charging them due to being late in providing a notice on the rally.

"Why use the PAA on technical matters?

"(The Attorney-General's Chambers should) drop all the charges as it violates human rights which are enshrined in the federal constitution," she added.