1,400 Arrested in Malaysian Protest

The country's delicate democracy was put to the test in a banned protest for electoral reform.

Roughly 10,000 people protested for electoral reform in Malaysian capital Kuala Lampur late Friday night resulting in a startling clash between police and demonstrators. Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim was injured as armed riot police confronted the crowd with tear gas and water cannons. The demonstration was organized by a group calling itself “the Bersih 2.0 coalition,” who called for free and fair elections, longer campaign periods, automatic voter registration and equality of access to mainstream media. Malaysian authorities condemned the protest, which they say promotes communist ideology and is thus “waging war against the king.” Police have recently questioned over 150 activists and barred 91 from the city.