KUALA LUMPUR (April 28): Crowds of Bersih supporters have thronged Pasar Seni and Petaling Street, two key meeting points in Kuala Lumpur, as early as 7am on Saturday ahead of the planned sit in from 2pm.
Petaling Street was bustling with activity with dozens of yellow tshirt-clad people eating breakfast and occasionally shouting "Bersih" slogans.
Scores of people have already gathered around Pasar Seni as hundreds of police stand to block roads leading to Dataran Merdeka, the venue of the sit-in.
Thousands of supporters are expected to gather in several key locations around the city before converging at Dataran Merdeka for a sit-down protest at 2pm.
From dawn, most major roads leading into the city were reportedly closed to traffic.
Police and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) personnel began cordoning off the iconic field early Friday in a bid to prevent crowds from gathering.
DBKL had also put up white banners "thanking" the public for "respecting the law and not gathering at Dataran Merdeka".
Some Bersih supporters had already converged in at least two locations Friday night, ahead of the planned sit-in later this afternoon, in a pre-rally gathering.
Late last night, over a thousand people congregated at the police barricades and barb wire fences at the Jalan Tun Perak to show support to Bersih and the Occupy Dataran movement.
Occupy Dataran, a group that has been camping at Dataran Merdeka for 14 days, was last night evicted from the area.
Petaling Street last night too fell in a carnival-like atmosphere as dozens of people wearing Bersih t-shirts began a "pre-rally" warm up by displaying banners and shouting "Bersih, Bersih".
The Bersih 3.0 rally today comes some nine months after the previous Bersih 2.0 public protest in Kuala Lumpur which saw crowds of about 30,000 gathered.
Meanwhile, over 100 people have gathered outside Masjid Jamek LRT station as heavy police presence look on.
Occupy Dataran has been camping outside the Bar Council building, just beside a police barb wire barricade.