Perak in turmoil

picture taken from malaysian insider

Earlier this afternoon, Zambry was sworn-in as the new Perak menteri besar by Sultan Azlan Shah, soon after police fired tear gas and charged at more than 5,000 Pakatan Rakyat (PR) supporters outside Istana Iskandariah here.

There was little joy on the streets of this royal town after riot police broke up the large crowd of protesters marching towards the palace after Friday prayers to show their support for Nizar, the man whom they feel is still the legitimate menteri besar.
Riot police charged at the crowd and at one point a pitched battle was being fought between the two sides.

The police fired round after round of tear gas, injuring scores including a ten-year-old boy who fainted, as a convoy of vehicles carrying Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders including deputy Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak, were trying to enter the palace grounds.
Most of the crowd eventually dispersed all over the picturesque Bukit Chandan, where the palace and Ubudiah mosque are located in this royal town, after riot police continued charging at them for half an hour.

The situation remained tense outside the palace as the swearing-in ceremony was taking place, with several hundred protesters refusing to budge. Many others stayed inside the mosque.
The crowd had earlier joined Nizar for prayers at the Ubudiah mosque while preparations were ongoing for the swearing-in of Zambry.

There was a standoff between riot police and supporters, amid chants of “Reformasi” and “Allahuakbar”. After failing to heed orders to disperse, police charged the crowd, some of whom ran back to the mosque to seek refuge. Some protestors were seen throwing bottles and other objects at the police.