Hundreds of protesters gathered in Kuala Lumpur's Independence Square on Sunday to express their opposition to US President Donald Trump's visit to Malaysia for the ASEAN summit. The demonstrators, many of whom were clad in keffiyehs and carrying signs that read "Free, Free Palestine," chanted slogans such as "We are all Palestinians" and "Boycott Israel."
The protests came ahead of Trump's scheduled attendance at the 47th ASEAN summit, where he was expected to sign a ceasefire deal between Cambodia and Thailand and announce several trade deals. However, the visit had been met with widespread criticism from pro-Palestinian groups in Malaysia who oppose US President Trump’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza.
One protester, Asma Hanim Mahoud, traveled over 300 kilometers from her home state of Kelantan to attend the demonstration. She described Trump as a "genocide enabler" and said that without him, Israel could not continue to kill children and civilians in Gaza.
Mahoud was dismayed when authorities moved the protest from Ampang Park, where protesters had gathered earlier in the week, to Independence Square. Police expected around 1,000-1500 protesters but reported a turnout of hundreds.
The demonstration drew a diverse crowd of people who opposed US foreign policy in the Middle East and elsewhere. Choo Chon Kai, leader of the Socialist Party of Malaysia, said he attended the rally as part of an international day of solidarity with Palestinians and all those affected by US imperialism.
Choo also expressed disappointment that the protest had been moved from its original location near the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre where Trump was scheduled to meet other leaders. He noted that protesters were forced to take alternative locations after authorities took steps to prevent them from proceeding.
The protests came as tensions in Gaza continued, despite a ceasefire agreement brokered by Trump earlier this month. Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of breaching the truce.
The protests came ahead of Trump's scheduled attendance at the 47th ASEAN summit, where he was expected to sign a ceasefire deal between Cambodia and Thailand and announce several trade deals. However, the visit had been met with widespread criticism from pro-Palestinian groups in Malaysia who oppose US President Trump’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza.
One protester, Asma Hanim Mahoud, traveled over 300 kilometers from her home state of Kelantan to attend the demonstration. She described Trump as a "genocide enabler" and said that without him, Israel could not continue to kill children and civilians in Gaza.
Mahoud was dismayed when authorities moved the protest from Ampang Park, where protesters had gathered earlier in the week, to Independence Square. Police expected around 1,000-1500 protesters but reported a turnout of hundreds.
The demonstration drew a diverse crowd of people who opposed US foreign policy in the Middle East and elsewhere. Choo Chon Kai, leader of the Socialist Party of Malaysia, said he attended the rally as part of an international day of solidarity with Palestinians and all those affected by US imperialism.
Choo also expressed disappointment that the protest had been moved from its original location near the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre where Trump was scheduled to meet other leaders. He noted that protesters were forced to take alternative locations after authorities took steps to prevent them from proceeding.
The protests came as tensions in Gaza continued, despite a ceasefire agreement brokered by Trump earlier this month. Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of breaching the truce.
i feel bad for trump he's gonna get roasted hard on this one...but at the same time gotta respect the protesters and their passion 300k km from kelantan to kuala lumpur is no joke asma hamoud's words are super powerful we need more people like her speaking out against injustice 
it's interesting that a trade deal between cambodia & thailand is also on the agenda what does trump's visit really mean for malaysia & the region? maybe we should be focusing on finding common ground instead of boycotts and protests 
anyway, i'm all for protesters expressing their opinions and standing up for what they believe in, even if it means showing solidarity with palestine. the fact that asma traveled so far just to be at the rally is, like, totally inspiring 
.
. Pro-Palestinian groups here are really vocal about their opposition to his support for Israel, and rightfully so 
. I mean, can't we just focus on getting a peaceful resolution in Gaza already? 
The protests might not have gotten as big as expected, but it's still awesome that people are speaking out against US foreign policy in the Middle East.
. Choo Chon Kai is totally right that this is an international day of solidarity, but I wish more people would be taking a stand against US imperialism too 
. Anyway, I hope Trump gets some pushback for his visit, even if it's just a bunch of chants in Independence Square 
especially when ppl in gaza are still livin thru this genocide situation 
i mean whats the point of signing a ceasefire if nobody enforces it? 
like what would happen if the whole world united against that kind of stuff? 
And let's be real, trade deals are always a good thing... for everyone involved, right? 
it's like, i get why ppl are upset about us supporting israel but moving the protest from one spot to another feels kinda unfair 
especially when ppl traveled far & wide to be there 
and now they're stuck in this huge square 
I'm actually kinda surprised to see all these people showing up at the ASEAN summit in Malaysia to protest US President Trump's visit 
I'm not surprised to see people standing up against US President Trump's visit to Malaysia 
. But you know what? This protest also shows that people from all walks of life can come together to make a difference 
. I wish more Malaysians could have attended and expressed their voices 
. Still, I'm hopeful that this movement will inspire change 
like how can we justify supporting a country that's killing innocent people in gaza? the fact that ppl are taking time off work or traveling from far away to attend this protest shows they're serious about making their voices heard, kudos to emasahanim for her bravery and all the others who came out