THE police have opened an investigation paper over the solidarity picket for Palestine held near the United States embassy in Kuala Lumpur since Tuesday.

Wangsa Maju district police chief Ashari Abu Samah said the probe was opened under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 for organising an event without a permit.

He said the police had yet to call up the organisers of the “Aksi Bertindak: Kepung Demi Palestin” (Siege for Palestine) picket to record their statement as they were waiting for the assembly to end this Sunday.

Ashari also said the police had no right to demolish tents set up by picket participants because they were not located in front of the US embassy building.

“The tents are set up on the footpath area so that is under the jurisdiction of the Kuala Lumpur City Hall,” he said.

Several tents were found in the area even though the police had prohibited participants from erecting any structures throughout the rally.

The picket is an initiative by Malaysians concerned about the war in Gaza, where more than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the past three months.

According to the Palestine Solidarity Secretariat, the picket in front of the US embassy in Jalan Tun Razak is symbolic of the siege on Gaza, but they are also demanding a halt to the killing of Palestinians and for an immediate ceasefire.

The gathering involves a total of 48 civil society groups comprising community, youth, and student organisations, as well as various political groups. – Bernama, December 28, 2023.