PRM today condemned the police for acting "violently" against opposition leaders and the public who gathered outside the United States embassy in Kuala Lumpur yesterday to protest the ongoing military strikes in Afghanistan.

"The demonstration was peaceful and the police's high handed measures were totally unnecessary," said party Vice President Rustam A Sani in a press statement

He also alleged the police had fired their acid-laden water cannons at opposition leaders on purpose in the pretext of dispersing the demonstrators.

Following Friday prayers, some 2,500 people bearing placards and chanting anti-US slogans marched from the Tabung Haji building in Jalan Tun Razak to the embassy which was about 400m away. They were led by PAS president Fadzil Noor.

Later police permitted Fadzil and four PAS representatives to hand over a memorandum to an embassy official.

At this point, the crowd began placing prayer mats along the road to perform sembahyang hajat (special prayers).

When they ignored an order to disperse, police began firing their water cannons. However, the demonstrators regrouped moments later and police fired the water cannons again.

Meanwhile, Rustam questioned the police's decision to fire acid-laden water at people who wanted to conduct the special prayer.

"Are these prayers a threat to public security or to the security of the embassy," he queried.

Deputy city police chief Dell Akbar Khan was reported to have said the public had been reminded repeatedly not to perform special prayers outside the embassy.

According to Dell, using the water cannons was the final option after the crowd ignored numerous orders to disperse.

'Trigger-happy'

However, Rustam claims that based on eyewitness accounts the action (by the police) appeared to be "specifically" targeted at opposition leaders.

"Fadzil Noor and several MPs were drenched and had difficulty breathing due to the acid," he said.

The PRM leader also questioned whether the order to fire the water cannon had come from Dell as he himself was hit.

"It is impossible that Dell had ordered his men to fire the water cannon when he was near the crowd," he said, adding that the police must clarify who had actually issued the order.

"PRM is worried that there are trigger-happy police officers who endanger the lives of the public as well as that of their superiors."