JP/Jerry Adiguna

As the nation’s capital, Jakarta is the center of government, business and media. It is no wonder then that Jakarta is often a popular place for citizens to vent their anger and protest. However, not all protests are peaceful. The protest in 1998 turned into a riot, leading to casualties. Here are five recent protests that disintegrated into riots, causing injuries and vandalism.

FPI versus Ahok

Today’s protest against incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahja Purnama will not be the first. Hard-liner group Islam Defenders Front (FPI) protested the inauguration of Ahok as governor after Joko “Jokowi” Widodo was elected President in October 2014.

The protesters demanded that Ahok step down from his position as he was Chinese and Christian. Ahok was not present during the protest. He was attending the opening ceremony of the Asian Games in South Korea.

The protest in front of City hall caused injury to 10 police officers after they were pelted with rocks by FPI protesters.

The police arrested two coordinators of the protest and another FPI member.

Kampung Pulo eviction

On Aug. 20, 2015, Kampung Pulo turned into something akin to a war-zone after the city administration refused to negotiate with residents living on the banks of the Ciliwung River in South Jakarta and decided to simply demolish their houses.

Protesters, mostly youngsters, turned into an angry mob after the administration’s refusal to engage in dialogue. They started to throw stones at more than 2,000 security personnel from the Jakarta Police, the military and the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP). The security personnel advanced and demolished houses on 519 land plots. Dozens of people were injured, two motorcycles were broken and an excavator was set on fire in the clash.

The police unleashed tear gas to empty out the location. The gas ended up affecting the elderly and children who were still trying to move their belongings.

The police apprehended 27 people allegedly involved in the clash, some of whom were severely beaten.

Taxi drivers versus Go-jek drivers

A protest by at least 10,000 drivers, mostly taxi drivers, against ride-hailing apps such as Go-jek, US-based Uber and Malaysia-based Grab turned into a brawl at many spots in the capital in March.

Taxi drivers and Go-Jek drivers who met on Jl. Sudirman during the protest engaged in a brawl by throwing rocks at each other. The incident caused a standstill on Jl. Sudirman until police officers broke up the brawl and forced the groups to retreat.

Meanwhile, a Go-Jek driver was forced by taxi drivers to get off his motorcycle while he was passing through Senayan wearing his Go-Jek jacket and helmet. He was punched in the face, and suffered facial bruises. A taxi driver was also beaten up by Go-jek drivers in a separate brawl, also in the Senayan area.

Furthermore, several Go-jek drivers broke the windows on angkot (public minivans) with their helmets in Kota Tua in retaliation, forcing the angkots stop operating.

Wage rage

A demonstration in front of the State Palace on Oct. 30, 2015, demanding that the government revise a regulation on the annual minimum wage determination mechanism ended with the arrest of 24 workers, some of whom had refused to leave after the regulated rally hours.

As many as two activists from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) also reportedly suffered from serious injuries when the police violently dispersed the protesters.

An existing regulation dictated that the demonstration had to end at 6 p.m. and police officers warned the protesters to immediately leave Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara, in front of State Palace, at 6:30 p.m.

Around 2,000 protesters left the location after the warning, but some 3,000 workers remained in place. A third warning was delivered at 7:15 p.m. and finally, the police used force to disperse the protesters after a water canon failed to expel them from the street. The vast majority of protesters left after tear gas was used, but 24 workers remained.

Some 12,000 workers from Jakarta and its surrounding cities demonstrated in front of the State Palace, and many of them wanted to spend the night on the street and await a government response to their demands.

FPI attack

Members of the FPI attacked National Alliance for Freedom of Faith and Religion (AKKBB) activists who were holding a rally to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of Pancasila at the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta in June 2008.

The incident injured 34 people.

The AKKBB earlier announced the event to the public through newspapers, saying that they endorsed pluralism. The AKKBB called on the country to respect different beliefs and protect minorities who practiced different belief systems, such as the Ahmadiyah sect.

Thousands of Ahmadiyah followers in the country now live under constant threat of violence and discrimination after being declared blasphemous by several hard-line groups.

FPI spokesman Munarman told radio reporters at the time that the incident was a reaction to the alliance’s offensive statement in several newspapers.

The police deployed 1,200 officers but did not arrest anyone in the incident.

The attack was quickly condemned by human rights activists, politicians and the Muslim organizations Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

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