Solidarity actions were held in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth on November 16 as 100,000 people joined in the Bersih 5 democracy march in Kuala Lumpur on November 19.
Bersih is the Campaign For Free and Fair Elections in Malaysia and this was its fifth major mobilisation since 2007.
The rallies in Australia were among 62 solidarity actions around the world. The biggest Bersih 5 action in Australia was in Melbourne, where more than 1000 people took part. About 500 people attended the Sydney rally, which then marched along the Sydney Harbour foreshore.
Bersih Sydney is now holding weekly vigils on Fridays at 6pm in Town Hall Square until Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah is released from detention without trial under new “anti-terrorism” laws in Malaysia.
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