KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Raw emotion and anger boiled over Wednesday when distressed family members of missing passengers aboard Flight 370 were forcibly removed from the daily news conference by officials.
At least two crying women entered the media briefing room in the Malaysian capital shortly before the briefing was due to begin and unfurled a protest banner.
“I want my son back,” sobbed one of the women, who were shoved into a side room before being taken away by police and officials while being chased by a scrum of reporters inside Kuala Lumpur's Sama-Sama Hotel.
The chaotic and upsetting scenes came on the 12th day of the investigation and as emotions ran high over the lack of progress in the search for the plane. On Tuesday, relatives in China threatened to go on hunger strike in protest at the absence of information about their loved ones.
“We can’t stand it any more,” one of the women added.
The three-yard long, half-a-yard wide white banner, with Chinese script, was rolled up by security officials.
It was not clear if the women were removed to the second room to silence their protest or for their own safety as the surging crowd of news crews threatened to become out of control.
- Paul Goldman, John Boxley and Keir Simmons