KUALA LUMPUR: Rally participants from Bersih 5.0 and the Red Shirts are gravitating from various locations towards Dataran Merdeka.
Bersih rally participants, numbering some 2,000 individuals, are understood to be making their way from the Sogo shopping complex and Masjid Jamek.
Both group of participants are merging as they arrive near the location.
Heavy police presence is in effect as the authorities are keeping a keen eye to prevent any untoward incidents.
Bersih supporters from Bangsar, numbering around 3,000, at noon began their 2km march to join the larger crowd at Masjid Negara.
Leading the group are university students holding up anti-government placards.
As of 12pm, there were no signs of Red Shirts members in the vicinity but dozens of protesters have formed human chains in anticipation of any confrontations.
Police personnel and the FRU are closely monitoring the group that has filled the entire stretch of Jalan Bangsar, which has been closed off to traffic.
Meanwhile, the Red shirts numbering some 2,000 participants, are also converging at Dataran Merdeka from Jalan Putra and Jalan Raja Laut.
The Red Shirts, despite being absent from Dataran Maybank in Bangsar and Masjid Negara, however are coming in strength from Jalan Raja Laut and other nearby locations.
Some 4,000 Red Shirts members are believed to be heading towards Dataran Merdeka.They were temporarily halted in front of Pertama Complex as their leaders negotiated with the police to allow them to march along Jalan Kuching towards Padang Merbok.
Police eventually gave them the green light to proceed.
MORE TO COME
Reporting by : ADRIAN LAI, MELISSA DARLYNE CHOW, FAISAL ASYRAF, ARFA YUNUS, AMIN MOKHTAR, ALIZA SHAH, NAIM ZULKIFLI, JUNE MOH, RAHMAT KHAIRULRIJAL,
