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Satpol PP clear the streets in a series of 'Lebaran' raids
The Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) demolished hundreds of illegal buildings, belonging to street vendors who had left the city to visit their home villages for Lebaran
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he Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) demolished hundreds of illegal buildings, belonging to street vendors who had left the city to visit their home villages for Lebaran.
The illegal kiosks and huts were located under an elevated highway in Jatinegara and under an over pass in Kebon Nanas, East Jakarta, were transported to the Social Affairs Agency's compound in Cakung, East Jakarta.
Deputy Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama who will be appointed the new governor to replace president-elect Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo, ordered Satpol PP to conduct the raid while the illegal street vendors were away. He argued that the city would welcome those with skills.
On Wednesday morning, Satpol PP firstly raided Jatinegara Station in East Jakarta and then did the same in Kebon Nanas.
During the raid, the illegal huts and kiosks were demolished and the materials, such as wood, bamboo and cardboard, were taken away in trucks.
'The raid was an ordered from the deputy governor. We want to clean up sidewalks and public facilities, including under overpasses,' said Agus Sadiki, the head of Satpol PP in East Jakarta.
He said that the area in front of Cipinang Penitentiary, Jl. Raya Bekasi, in front of Jakarta State University (UNJ) on Jl. Pemuda and some spots in Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta, were next on the hit list.
He said that all the materials would be taken to Cakung to be incinerated or Bantar Gebang landfill in Bekasi, West Java.
Around 450 to 500 personnel are on hand to assist the raids in East Jakarta, which will run until Monday.
The city administration will also clear thousands of illegal street vendors in the National Monument (Monas) park in Central Jakarta.
Monas park head Firdaus Rasyid said that despite previous warnings vendors had not complied.
'Satpol PP will remove them as soon as possible,' he said.
On Sunday, a day before Idul Fitri, Satpol PP raided kiosks and huts under an overpass on Jl. Mesjid Al Huda in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta.
South Jakarta Mayor Syamsudin Noor said that the raid had been scheduled to coincide with vendors leaving the city.
'We launched the raid at the same time as the malam takbiran [Idul Fitri eve],' he said, as quoted by kompas.com.
Cell phone vendors Rizal and Ali said that despite the Satpol PP raid on Sunday evening, they re-established their kiosks on July 28 because they needed to earn money.
Ali said that his location was strategic, so he would not move elsewhere because he would have no guaranteed income.
'I am not afraid of Satpol PP raiding my kiosk again. I will re-establish it after they leave,' he said. (alz)
