Hundreds of people gathered today in Kuala Lumpur to protest the violent crackdown in Cairo, Egypt, against pro-democracy demonstrators which have seen half-a-dozen killed.

After the Friday prayers at the Masjid Al-Shakireen mosque in the Kuala Lumpur City Centre park and the Tabung Haji mosque on Jalan Tun Razak, members of the respective congregations streamed out and unfurled banners and took out posters condemning Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

Calling for "Yasqut Mubarak!" (Mubarak step down!) and "Yahya al-sha'ab!" (Long live the people!), the two groups marched and converged to Jalan Tun Razak.

They are headed towards the US Embassy about 300 metres from the Tabung Haji mosque on Jalan Tun Razak where they will seek to submit a memorandum on the matter to embassy officials.

It has been reported that eight people were arrested in and around the Tabung Haji building area.