VIDEO | 3.01 min

The organisers of the 'Black 505' rally and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) failed to come to agreement today on their dispute over the venue for the event to protest the results of the May 5 general election.

Speaking to reporters after meeting city mayor Ahmad Phesal Talib this morning, PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli said that as such, Pakatan Rakyat will go ahead with the June 22 rally at Padang Merbok.

azlanRafizi, who is also Pandan MP, said the 'Black 505' rally would take place despite prior booking by the Olympic Council of Malaysia as DBKL's reason for rejecting the PKR application to use the site.

"There is no change of location so far. The meeting was cordial, but both parties did not budge. We will still gather at Padang Merbok.

"We will discuss (their proposals but) the situation is at status quo. We will provide an update accordingly, but I am hoping there will not be too many changes," Rafizi said.

He said DBKL, during the hour-long meeting, had offered Stadium Merdeka and Stadium Titiwangsa as alternative venues for the rally.

However, Rafizi - who has been tasked with organising the event - said that he could not unilaterally decide on this without consent of the Pakatan leaders and the other NGOs involved.

Others who attended the meeting were PKR's Sungai Petani MP Johari Abdul, DAP's Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun and Dang Wangi district police chief Zainuddin Ahmad.

‘Open space rallies is a right'

Rafizi said that the authorities had "no strong basis" to reject the open space rally so long as smooth running of the event is guaranteed.

"If all the time peaceful rallies can only be held in closed areas, it is against the rights guaranteed in the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012," he added.

He added that Pakatan was prepared to compromise so participants will avoid Dataran Merdeka, a stone's throw away from the field which was the site of clashes between police and protesters during last year's the Bersih 3.0 demonstration .

Rafizi, who is also Pandan MP, added that whatever the outcome, he hoped that there would not be much changes to the original plan.

Yesterday, Ahmad Phesal asked PKR to concede the venue as the Malaysian Olympic Council (MOC) had already booked the field and will have its logistic preparation there on June 22 for a run the following day at Dataran Merdeka.

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