The bloggers’ vigil tonight yielded a better experience for me than the one in Bukit Aman the night before, mainly because I arrived late in Bkt Aman and the cops were literally about to leave. Tak laku.
Tonight it was raining, but I have always found standing in solidarity aneath the sheen of light showers to be quite electrically charged. Umbrellas and candles as signs of unity – now that is something else.
Nat asked me to come forward to speak, which I did, but said the same ol’ same ol’ thing about making sure we don’t fall prey to the nasty exercise of race and religion all over again. I repeat myself because there is still that large segment of the community who may be suspicious of the facts behind Teresa and RPK’s arrests. Also the need for non-violence, which thankfully by now everyone seems to have adopted as an unwritten golden rule.
It was a good vigil. Ordinary bloggers mingled with some politicians, but this was predominantly a civil society initiative. Such gatherings may not do much to change authorities’ stances of course, but it builds up energy and eventually you have an organic body that pulsates and beats to one rhythm.
There is beauty amidst chaos.
