By P Prem Kumar
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia
Water cannons have been used to disperse "red shirt" pro-government demonstrators, after around 2,000 ethnic Malays from a crowd tens of thousands strong tried to cross police lines into a Chinese business district in capital Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
Supporters from over 200 Malay organizations had earlier marched through Malaysia's capital city, denouncing ethnic Chinese opposition party leaders while calling for unity among the majority Muslim Malay population.
Many of them held banners declaring support for Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is battling allegations of graft and financial mismanagement at indebted state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
At 3.30 p.m. (0730 GMT), police told local media that around 30,000 protesters were in attendance but more were expected to gather as the rally progressed.
The organizers officially ended the rally at 6 p.m. (1100GMT), after claiming it a "success" following what they called "a huge turnout of 250,000 people."
Police, however, claimed that just 20,000 had attended.
Some of those in red shirts had earlier told the Malay Mail that they had no idea why they were there, adding that they did not know the rally would occur.
Zaharah Ariffin - wearing a red T-shirt and headscarf - told the website she came in a three-van convoy from Pahang - a central state of the Malaysian peninsula - but when asked what she knew of the rally she was reported to have shrugged and shied away.
“I am only here to take a look,” the 59-year-old said.
One group of protesters, however, then gathered in front of Petaling Street -- Malaysia's Chinatown -- pushing heavy police barricades aside and claiming that ethnic Malays should own the land.
“This is Malay Land; it was the Malays who won our independence, not the Chinese. We have a right to be here,” an organizer was seen to shout.
"We do not want to sing or listen to the music. All we want is to enter Jalan Petaling [Chinatown] and we will stay until we get to occupy our land," a rallygoer - who did not wish to be named - told Anadolu Agency.
An Anadolu Agency reporter at the scene said that police repeatedly asked the rowdy gathering to move away from the area, but after demonstrators threw water bottles and stones at officers, the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) deployed water cannon.
The FRU arrested several protesters after chasing rallygoers some 700 meters (2300 feet) in an effort to disperse the crowd after sounding an alarm signifying the rally was over.
The main rally point - the historic Padang Merbok open field - was now empty, little but empty bottles of water and packets of food could be seen strewn across the field at 7 p.m., despite the dozens of garbage bins placed every few meters.
Organizers have said they called the demonstration in response to last month's massive protest held calling for Razak's resignation.
They claim that the rival protest was predominantly attended by ethnic Chinese, and had insulted the country's Malay leaders.
The rally had received the support of Razak's ruling United Malays National Organisation leaders and pro-government groups.
The protest was held as Malaysians celebrate the 52nd Malaysia Day anniversary, symbolizing the union of Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak into one country in 1963.
