Bersih 4 ends without major incidents

KUALA LUMPUR: The massive two-day Bersih 4 rally ended peacefully, despite several minor hiccups at the end of the gathering.
In what was deemed as the "mother of all rallies", the second night has exhibited a swarm of yellow-clad supporters occupying the main streets of the city heading towards Dataran Merdeka.
It was estimated that some 100,000 participants swept into the city to join the rally, despite organisers claiming that the rally managed to attract over 300,000 people.
The crowd swelled in numbers throughout the day, with the peak being observed during the final hours of the rally where opposition leaders and social activists rallying the crowd with their spirited speeches.
Among the prominent leaders making appearances on stage were Bersih 2.0 steering committee chairman Maria Chin Abdullah, opposition leader Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang.
Maria Chin, in her speech said that if there were to be a Bersih 5.0, that would be a celebration for all Malaysians for managing to reform the government.
"In the end, Bersih will push for the aspirations of the rakyat to bring what will be our true independence," she told the crowd.
The crowd started to disperse after orders were given by the organizers to clear the vicinity after the National Day countdown, with about three quarter of the crowd having already dispersed by 12:35 am.
The traffic police and other authorities were also on hand to help all vehicle users to clear the area, with the traffic surrounding the Dataran resuming around 1am.
However, all was not smooth sailing, as a small commotion broke out between the media and crowd control personnel after a misunderstanding took place.
The scuffle broke out when the crowd control team was ushering out the media personnel away from Dataran Merdeka, but the situation were brought under control after the police intervened.
A few men suspected of hurling firecrackers during the rally were also turned over to the police by Bersih participants.