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Jakarta’s acting governor thankful as Monas gardens stay ‘undamaged’
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Peaceful rally -- Thousands of people march to Jakarta's National Monument (Monas) complex to attend a mass prayer organized by the National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Ulema Council’s Fatwa (GNPF-MUI) on Friday. (Antara/Akbar Nugroho Gumay)
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cting Jakarta governor Sumarsono said he was happy to see that all participants of a mass prayer at the National Monument (Monas) park on Friday were able to maintain public order.
Monitoring the current situation at Monas through CCTV monitors in the Jakarta Smart City control room, he said areas around the park stayed green because they were not trampled on by people attending the mass prayer.
“As you can see at Jakarta Smart City, not so many people passed over the green spaces in the park. This was because they’re really committed to keeping it ‘undamaged’ during the event,” Sumarsono said as quoted by kompas.com at City Hall on Friday. He referred to a technology-based service for residents the Jakarta administration launched in December 2014.
Sumarsono later thanked the mass prayer’s organizer that had helped the Jakarta administration to secure the event. “I thank the organizing committee, especially the Islam Defenders Front [FPI] and other mass organizations that had made sure their participation ran orderly and did not cause any damage to the park. Our tasks are lighter now because of their support,” he said.
Sumarsono said the Jakarta administration had worked to facilitate the participants of the mass prayer by, among others things, preparing 50 water vehicles, 5,000 waste bags distributed in several areas and public toilets.
Some 500,000 people attended the mass prayer, the third of a series of rallies aimed at pushing for the incarceration of Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama for alleged blasphemy. (ebf)
