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OGOR: A lawmaker who has supported members of the GKI Taman Yasmin congregation in Bogor in their efforts to open their sealed church was chased by protesters in the latest clash over the church on Sunday.

Unlike on previous Sundays, the Bogor Police were late in putting up a barricade to separate the protesters and the congregation.

The protesters then started to chase the congregation members when the latter arrived at the site to see if the church’s seal had been removed or not.

Eva Kusuma Sundari, a member of the House of Representatives from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), was also chased by some protesters who objected to her support for GKI Taman Yasmin.

“I wish the police wouldn’t always defend these protesters. That way, they will always come here every week,” she said as quoted by kompas.com.

The PDI-P has been one of the strongest supporters of GKI Yasmin. It has even retracted its political support for Bogor Mayor Diani Budiarto because he has persistently defied a court ruling to reopen the GKI Taman Yasmin church in the city.

Diani, who was supported by the PDI-P during the last Bogor election, has also ignored the Indonesian Ombudsman’s recommendation to allow the GKI Yasmin church to open.