Police have early this morning cordoned off Dataran Merdeka - the venue for a May Day event to celebrate International Workers' Day and to protest against the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST).

At 11am, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Bar Council building about a stone's throw away from Dataran Merdeka - a public square in the city where major events are often held.

May 1st committee coordinator S Arutchelvan (photo below) and Kota Damansara state assembly representative Dr Nasir Hashim - both of whom are Parti Socialis Malaysia (PSM) leaders - tried to negotiate with the police to allow the group to gather.