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Ahok slams soccer fans for violence and vandalism
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A police officer and a member of the organizing committee remove a soccer fan from the field during a match between Persija and Sriwijaya FC at Bung Karno Sports Stadium on Friday evening. ( Superball via tribunnews.com/ Feri Setiawan)
G
overnor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama has castigated supporters of the Jakarta Soccer Association (Persija) for vandalizing the stadium hosting a match between Persija and South Sumatra’s Sriwijaya FC on Friday.
“Why must Jakmania indulge in violence on each occasion Persija loses a match?” Ahok asked in Jakarta on Saturday, referring to the club's supporters' association.
The governor instructed the police to take action against those who had vandalized the facilities at the Bung Karno Sports Stadium in the Gelora subdistrict of Central Jakarta, also calling on schools to act against any of their students found to have been involved.
Such violence, he added, continues to reoccur because the perpetrators are never prosecuted.
The match between Persija and Sriwijaya FC was called off in the 81st minute as incensed fans had begun attacking a fence separating them from the field after Persija’s goalkeeper had failed to secure the ball.
The spark of the violence was lit by a fan who ran onto the pitch; fellow Jakmania partisans followed suit, attacking the dividing fence in an attempt to access the field.
Ahok accused those responsible of sullying Persija's name. “If you love Persija, don't stoop to vandalism. By engaging in such actions, you are not supporting Persija, but rather destroying it. It's not funny anymore,” he said as reported by tribunnews.com (bbn)
