To Block or not to Block!

Source : The Star Online

I bring this up today because AGAIN everyone is going to be stuck in traffic jams because of another set of roadblocks being setup.

Let's see what's their reasoning for doing so....

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has defended the police for setting up roadblocks around the city in anticipation of a public demonstration, causing massive traffic jams.

The police, meanwhile, said the roadblocks would continue as they have been “successful”.
The Prime Minister blamed the situation on those who planned to hold demonstrations and said the police were only doing their job of maintaining order and public safety.

In what way would roadblocks help prevent demonstrations? Get the demonstrators stuck in massive traffic jams so that they will be late for the demonstrations? Frustrate them?

"Excuse me sir! You do not look like one who's heading to work! You MUST be heading for the demonstration!"

"Your car looks like it's going to be used for the purpose of setting up bon fires at the demonstration venue!"

Hello!?!?! Anybody home?!?! THINK MCFLY! THINK!!! Let me spell it out so that even kindergarden kids can understand - YOU STOP DEMONSTRATIONS BY CONFRONTING THEM AT THE DEMONSTRATION VENUES AND GETTING THEM TO DISPERSE!! YOU DO NOT STOP DEMONSTRATIONS BY HALTING TRAFFIC INTO THE CITY COMPLETELY!

“The police are trying to reduce hindrances and traffic jams (that would be caused if the demonstration go on) too,” he said, adding that businesses and shops expected the police to ensure disturbances do not occur.

Umm... let me spell it out to you. If the demonstration occurs outside the Parliment, only the roads beside the parliment would be affected. The rest of the city WILL function as usual. Any normal citizen would get about his/her normal life and businesses will continue AS USUAL!

By preventing half the city from getting to work on time, don't you think that corporate businesses and everything else is at a standstill and causing more losses and disruptions??

“But at the same time the demonstrators say police have no business disturbing them. The police have a responsibility in ensuring there is no trouble,” he said.

I don't see any trouble in peaceful rallies. It happens every single day in every other country in the world. The only trouble occurs when a person cannot even exercise his/her right in airing his/her opinions publicly with a group of people who share the same views. That's called OPPRESSION!

Abdullah reminded the demonstrators that they could hold their rallies at stadiums where “they can scream at the top of their voice and “not at these places (in the streets) because people have the right to go about their business in peace”.

Sorry sir. Your crack police squad just disrupted every single business in KL because everyone - innocent or not, was caught in the jams that your crack squad created.

Um... right... gather at stadiums where your people can monitor and moderate everything, or even deny permits to have protest rallies?

The rally that was anticipated to take place at Parliament House by Pakatan Rakyat supporters did not materialise yesterday.

After getting stuck in the jams for 3 hours, I think you took away EVERYONE'S mood for the day to conduct daily business/activities... not only the demonstrators. Why are you so afraid of people gathering?

Police said they would continue to set up roadblocks at several major roads if needed.
“We have no choice as our main concern is to maintain law and order,” said City police chief Datuk Muhammad Sabtu Osman.

Your thinking is FLAWED sir. Like I mentioned earlier you do not maintain law and order with roadblocks. You address the demonstrators at the rally site itself and politely request that they disperse!

The roadblocks proved to be “successful” although it caused inconvenience to many people, he told a press conference at his office yesterday, adding that 1,600 policemen were deployed for yesterday’s operation.

If your main aim is to maintain "law and order" I'm afraid you failed miserably. I didn't see ANY order at all during the chaotic traffic jams. And in case you haven't noticed, "Law" wasn't observed by ANY road user that day as it was a every-man-for-himself bend traffic rules to get to their destinations asap. Again sir, your reasoning is seriously flawed.

It is learnt that PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin and a few supporters tried to hold a gathering at Central Market at about 1.30pm. They left when asked to do so by police.

WOW! Now that wasn't too difficult to do wasn't it??? Was there any businesses disrupted? Any traffic jams?? NOTHING! They all peacefully left. No animals, insects or public property was damaged. The police asked them to leave, and they left.

Now why can't you employ the same tactic to disperse any rallies big or small? Why can't your 1600 policemen be posted at the rally point to maintain "Law and order" and to peacefully request demonstrators to leave???

I rest my case.