The Sessions Court in Petaling Jaya today granted a discharge not amounting to acquittal to 73 anti-GST (goods and services tax) protesters for not dispersing following an order by the police.

The courtroom was filled to the brim with those who were charged, including two lawmakers, Dr D Jeyakumar (Sungai Siput) and Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli (Kuala Krai).

Others were Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) secretary-general A Sivarajan, Badrul Hisham Shaharin (better known as Chegubard), university students, activists from PSM, Jerit, DAP and Parti Amanah Negara, and former DAP member Hew Kuan Yau, who is commonly known as 'Superman'.

The order was given after deputy public prosecutor Shafiq Hasim informed the court that the Attorney-General's Chambers had accepted the representations made by the lawyers for the accused.

The lawyers led by Gobind Singh Deo then asked the court to grant an acquittal so that the accused would not have the charges "still hanging over their heads".

However, Shafiq replied that his instruction was only for a discharge not amounting to acquittal.

Sessions judge Azhaniz Teh Azman Teh then gave the order and added: "All the bail should be returned."

Besides Gobind, the other lawyers representing the accused were M Visvanathan, Roger Chan, Ariff Azami Hussein, Zulhazmi Sharif and Joanne Chua.

It was also noted that six other accused were either overseas - United Kingdom, United States and Australia - or late to attend the hearing.

Meanwhile, DAP's Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and secretary-general Anuar Tahir were also present to give their moral support.

After the proceeding, Hatta on behalf of all the accused, thanked the lawyers for representing them.

“The struggle will not end, hidup rakyat (long live the people),” he said.

Their arrest and detention are said to be the largest since Reformasi days in 1998.

Three representation letters were sent by the protesters to the attorney-general. The first two requests were rejected and the third was sent on March 30, which was finally accepted.

They were all charged under the Peaceful Assembly Act for a sit-in protest at the Federal Territories Customs Complex in Kelana Jaya on March 23, 2015.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who is also Finance Minister, implemented the GST on April 1, last year.