Wow, didn’t know police can be blocked by gangsters. 10 versus hundreds still can win…like Tamil film! Police with tear gas and water cannons, armed with guns and batons, thwarted by gangsters? Wonder what the gangsters had? Maybe black magic 🙂
Some reports do indicate that there were some people going around catching the protestors, quiet violently as well. These detainees were hoarded into trucks, so we presume those catchers were police in plain clothes.
Leaders using gangsters’
KUALA LUMPUR: Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders have resorted to using gangsters to protect themselves from arrest during a rally in the city yesterday. City police chief Datuk Muhammad Sabtu Osman said some 10 men on motorcycles prevented police from arresting the organisation’s new leader, Thanethiran Ramankutty, 45, by escorting him into a temple. “These gangsters blocked policemen and thwarted our attempt to arrest Thanethiran, who sought shelter in the Courtu Malai Pillaiyar temple in Jalan Pudu Lama.”
Sabtu said Thanethiran had assumed leadership of Hindraf following the detention of P. Uthayakumar. Another Hindraf leader, Jayanthash Sebunavellu, was also seen entering the temple later. abtu said respecting the sanctity of the temple, policemen did not enter the premises.
“But they managed to flee by disguising themselves as devotees.” Sabtu said the operation against the demonstrators resulted in many arrests, including that of two rally organisers, S. Manickavasagam and M. Ramachandran.