Vice President Jusuf Kalla has met with representatives of demonstrators demanding the prosecution of the capital city governor for alleged religious defamation, and he insisted that the case would be strictly followed up according to the law. 

“The police will firmly process the Ahok case without delay,” Kalla told reporters after meeting with the representatives at the Vice President's office. 

Meanwhile, the National Police had expressed its gratitude to Muslims who took part in the massive demonstration in Jakarta and other major cities for their peaceful conduct, which was what the security apparatus appealed for.

“Alhamdulillah [thank God] the demonstration ran and ended peacefully today as we expected,” National Police spokesperson Ir. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar told The Jakarta Post on Friday. 

Police would continue to process the religious defamation case against the Jakarta governor in two weeks as certain groups expected, but hoped the public would let the police do their job in addressing the issue, he added.  

“We are keeping in touch with all parties to solve the dispute for the sake of upholding the law,” Boy asserted. 

A senior researcher from the Abdurrahman Wahid Center, Ahmad Suaedy, agreed with the police continuing the investigation into Ahok’s case. But, it should be done independently without any pressure from any party, he added. 

“[As] I see the case as a game among elites […] It depends on the police whether they want to bow to pressures or not. I hope the police do not to break the promises they made,” Suaedy said, the meeting between the Vice President and demonstrators was very important to calm down the situation.

Incidents

Although the Vice President had welcomed representatives of protesters, however, some of them kept on the street due to angry that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo had not met with them.

Police fired tear gas at protesters in front of State Palace shortly after 6. p.m., the hour at which the protesters had been instructed to disperse, while the protesters insisted on remaining on Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat, near the palace.

The tear gas was fired after several protesters set off firecrackers, ignoring the police call for them to leave the area near the State Palace and Luar Batang Mosque. Meanwhile, the police prevented protesters from other areas descending on the State Palace.

(Read also: Anti-Ahok campaigners demand to meet Jokowi in person)

In response to police action, the protesters started throwing stones, bottles and mineral water at police officers. A least two police trucks were burned by the protesters during the chaos, while several people were taken away from the scene by ambulance. Some protesters and police officers were reportedly injured in a brawl.

Fearing violence, police had put on a show of force for the protest, supported by soldiers and public order officers, while embassies closed, some shops were shuttered, and Jakarta's normally traffic-clogged streets were nearly empty of cars.

Meanwhile, National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian instructed police to stop firing tear gas at the protesters. "I’ve ordered the officers not fire tear gas at the protesters. [...] Let's create peace," he said.

But it seemed that the message from Tito did not reach police officers on the ground as they continued to fire the tear gas, while the protesters at Monas and near the State Palace also kept throwing firecrackers at the police lines. (bbn)

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