Remand hearing for the 47 people arrested at the Protes rally yesterday and held in Pudu jail are still continuing as at 9pm tonight.

The first five who were placed under 24-hour remand from the time of their arrest yesterday are PAS leaders Mat Sabu, Dr Hatta Ramli, PSM’s S Arutchelvan, PKR’s Tian Chua and Jerit's Simon K. Their names were specified in the court order banning the rally against price hikes yesterday.

They are expected to be brought to the Magistrate’s Court in Jalan Duta to be charged tomorrow. Most of those on remand today are expected to be charged for illegal assembly while the key five Protes leaders will also be charged for breaching the court order which bans them from being in the vicinity (KLCC) of the assembly yesterday.

At press time, Malaysiakini journalist Syed Jaymal Zahiid has not faced the magistrate yet. His fate is still unknown but Malaysiakini has sought the assistance of lawyer Ameer Hamzah to see to Syed's legal needs while under police detention.

Police reports lodged

After he was picked up for questioning a police officer at the KLCC on the police swoop of protesters, Syed Jaymal lodged a police report alleging that he was punched on the head and had his hair pulled.

According to Syed’s report, they were walking to the police trucks in groups when one of them pushed him. He told them not to push as they were all handcuffed together. They shouted at him, he shouted back. Then one officer punched his head and another pulled his hair.

The journalist also lodged another report for unlawful detention.

Yesterday’s police operation was led by Dang Wangi OCPD Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman. When protesters and policemen were caught in a scuffle at one stage, both sides screamed at each other to "stop pushing".

The OCPD was heard ‘barking’ to his men to arrest those who ignored his instructions to sit down and remain where they were. When the protesters started crossing the road towards Avenue K, Zulkarnain ordered their arrests.

"Drag them back (to this side) into the trucks! They were rough against us, be rough against them!" he was heard telling the police officers.

Last night, 12 of those picked up were given the green light to go home but they chose to stay with the waiting group as a sign of solidarity.

The protest against price hikes organised by Protes, consisting of several non-governmental organisations and opposition political parties was meant to be a peaceful assembly.

As such, the organisers did not apply for a police permit but had only informed the police of the event