Several reports were lodged against the police with the Dang Wangi district police headquarters for the alleged manhandling of some participants in a peaceful May Day march this morning.

About 150 people had turned up for the celebrations that was to start with a walk from Chow Kit Road, ending at the Kuala Lumpur City Centre where some 1,500 people were expected to participate in various activities. However, the event was aborted when police unexpectedly charged at the crowd and made several arrests.

R Vijayagandi, 26, from Seremban, was among those who made a report. He said he was walking with some friends along Chow Kit Road when a group of police led by Dang Wangis OCPD Bakri Zinin stopped them.

Then we saw a friend, Venggaut Rao, being taken away and beaten by the police. We saw that he was in pain.

I am lodging this report because I am worried for his well-being. Until now we do not know where he has been taken to, Vijayagandi said.

Several eyewitnesses said they saw Venggaut, 27, being beaten by police before he was taken away. His whereabouts are still unknown at the time of writing.

The arrested include Suaram coordinator S Arutchelvam, 35, Parti Sosialis Malaysia pro-tem president Dr Nasir Mohd Hashim, 56, vice-president Dr D Jeyakumar, 46, Community Development Centre members V Selvam 41, and Seevan Doraisamy, 24.

Two women were among the 17 people, mostly organisers, arrested for illegal assembly while taking part in the peace walk.

The women were social activist Lee Siew Hwa, 33, and PSM member R Manorani, 46.

Remand overnight

A lawyer representing the group said the men would be remanded overnight at the Dang Wangi police lock-up while the women will be held at the Wangsa Maju station. All are expected to be released on police bail at Dang Wangi, 9am tomorrow. The lawyer said the police refused to release the group although they had taken statements from all the 17 arrested.

Another May Day marcher, E Parameswary, 24, from Kajang, lodged a report against the police for being rough and violent towards her and her friends.

She said she was distributing leaflets on workers rights with her friends while walking from Chow Kit Road to KLCC when policemen tried to snatch the leaflets from them.

I am lodging this report because I am terribly upset by the police behaviour, she said, in her report, also lodged with Dang Wangi police.

Officials at the Dang Wangi police district headquarters refused to comment.