I attended the Bersih 2 years ago where hundreds of thousands were on the streets. Initially I thought very few would be there due to earlier intimidation by those in authority, so all the more I felt obligated to be there as a moral support for the brave citizens who dared to speak up against corruption and cheating. Unfortunately, we were sprayed with relentless tear gas - meant as political punishment and not as crowd dispersant. Those were moments of chaos where so many were incapacitated to varying degrees, I could not see and I could not breath, I was that close to death. Many people fell down and stampede was a REAL threat. Fortunately, there was no casualty. But it was another grim reminder of how dangerous a crowd that panic could become. We MUST always know where to run to safety whenever in crowded places. *In this case, the crowd was provoked, attacked with tear gas and forced to run while all exits were deliberately closed by certain people with an evil intention to hurt many. Will I attend such an event again - even though life could be at stake? Most likely, if the reason is compelling enough.
Posted on: Sun, 20 Apr 2014 15:36:28 +0000
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