Why Did the Police Offer a Permit for the Demonstrators?

We seem to be running the country in a strange fashion here when organisers of a planned demonstration are called by the police and offered a permit.

Everyone else had to run the gauntlet of water canon; tear gas and baton charge and face the prospect of getting beaten up during the demonstration.

What was the purpose of the demo?
Looking at the raving crowd it looked like a cheap publicity stunt for some people who would otherwise have been ignored by most people.

It was not really a peaceful gathering and the police were seen having to shove back the mob in order to maintain security.
In Malaysia it appears that a street demo is the preferred means to communicate rather than a peaceful and open forum where people can exchange ideas and foster greater understanding.
I would bet that 95% of those protesting do not even know the history of Hizballah

What if the police cordon had broken and the mob managed to enter the conference area? Most likely they would have had to use their weapons and some people could have even been killed.

I saw some other demos on CNN and in India or Pakistan, it was a peaceful scene. They simply placed an Israeli flagged on the steps of a mosque and those going for prayers just stepped on the flag.

But in KL they had to resort to burning flags and I expect traffic must have been diverted and motorists inconvenienced.

So are the police gearing up to handle more demonstrations? That seems to be the preferred way of voicing emotions.
I am not against demonstrations if they are well organised, peaceful and do not interfere with the rest of the population.
With those conditions, the police should approve permits in most cases and also collect some kind of security deposit as a good behaviour bond.

Maybe we can even turn KL into the Demonstration Capital of the world by having a weekly demo at all the underused stadia in Bukit Jalil.

We can start by offering Singapore a venue for demos for the forthcoming World Bank talks in September 2006. All we need is to arrange live broadcasts to Singapore.

Photo: malaysiakini