Malaysian police fire teargas at electoral reform protesters
Riot police in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, fired several dozen teargas rounds after protesters tried to break through barriers in the city's Merdeka Square, in defiance of a court order.
A police spokesman estimated there were about 25,000 demonstrators at the protest, but some Malaysian news organisations put the numbers as high as 80,000, the Guardian reports.
Some commentators believe the violence could force the prime minister, Najib Razak, to delay elections that must be held by next March but which could be called as early as June.
Najib's approval rating fell after July last year when police were accused of a heavy-handed response to the last major electoral reform rally by the Bersih ("Clean") group.
The violence on Saturday occurred shortly after a Bersih leader declared the protest a success and asked people to go home. "They [the police] asked the crowd to disperse but did not give enough warning," said Aminah Bakri, 27, with tears streaming down her face from the teargas. "They do not care."
Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch's deputy Asia director, condemned the police crackdown.
He said: "By launching a crackdown on peaceful ... protesters on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian government is once again showing its contempt for its people's basic rights and freedoms."
Bersih, an independent movement whose goals are backed by the opposition, has a history of staging influential rallies. Malaysians have demanded more freedoms and democratic rights in the former British colony, which has an authoritarian streak.
Najib has replaced tough security laws - ending indefinite detention without trial - relaxed some media controls, and pushed reforms to the electoral system, which critics have long complained is rigged in the government's favour.
A bipartisan parliamentary committee set up by Najib this month issued 22 proposals for electoral reform, including steps to clean up electoral rolls and equal access to media.
But Bersih has complained it is unclear if the steps will be in place for the next election.
The government says it has already met, or is addressing, seven of Bersih's eight main proposals for the election, which will see the first use of indelible ink to cut down on fraud.
Bersih says the proposals do not meet most of its key demands, including lengthening the campaign period to at least 21 days from the current seven days and allowing international observers at polling stations.
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