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Rally organizer blames violence on 'provocateurs'
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Blazing anger: A police truck burns during the rally against Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama in Jakarta on Friday. After violence erupted near the State Palace, looting was reported in Penjaringan, an area in the vicinity of Ahok’s private home, and in Luar Batang, both in North Jakarta. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
T
he organizer of the Friday large-scale rally has suspected that some people stirred up a riot in the initially peaceful rally that later turned violent.
The Movement of Indonesian Council Edict Supporters (GNPF-MUI), the rally organizer, said the people, whom they referred to as provocateurs, could have been both the participants and the police.
“There were provocateurs infiltrating the participants’ side of the rally […] their haircuts were short, we have their photographs. But [they are] not necessarily from the military or police,” GNPF-MUI chairman Bachtiar Nasir said on Saturday.
Bachtiar suspected there were also provocateurs on the police side because police officers who shot tear gas at the participants did not follow the orders of National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian and Military Commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, who both instructed the officers to stop shooting.
He said when police officers opened tear gas fire at the participants, some representatives of the rally were in the middle of mediation with the State Palace’s representatives. Some in the State Palace, including Vice President Jusuf Kalla, he said, were shocked by the sudden shooting from the officers.
He said both Tito and Gatot came out of the State Palace and immediately instructed the officers to stop shooting the tear gas, but they continued shooting.
Early in the morning, the National Police said they were currently questioning 10 people for allegedly stirring up the riot. The police showed the picture of young men in casual attire violently attacking police officers with bamboo. (evi)
