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Ambon residents block street in anger at police’s ‘slow response’
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Students perform a "peace" dance during the opening of the International Conference on Inclusive Religious Education in the Netherlands and Indonesia held in Ambon, Maluku, on Aug. 23, 2016. (The Jakarta Post/Ahmad Junaidi)
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esidents of Batu Merah subdistrict in Sirimau, Ambon, blocked Jl. Jenderal Sudirman, which spans the subdistrict’s central area, on Sunday evening in protest of the police's “slow response” to legally process a case involving a fatal clash that killed a high school student identified as Ibnu Kusuma, 16, last Friday.
The residents blocked the street with iron bars and traffic separators at 10 p.m. local time.
Passersby were also blocked off and told to turn around, kompas.com reported. The protest made residents wary and caused traffic congestion in the area.
“We want the police to immediately arrest the perpetrator, we also want the police to erect a permanent post at Gedung Putih because that’s a troubled area,” the residents, mostly young people, yelled. Gedung Putih is a neighborhood in the Pasar Mardika area in Ambon, Maluku.
Hundreds from the National Police and Indonesian Military had secured the vicinity.
The protest ended after Batu Merah figures and a police officer who is a Batu Merah resident, Adj. Comr. Muhamad Musaad, negotiated with the demonstrators.
Ibnu died from a gunshot during a clash between residents. The incident was triggered on Friday by a Batu Merah resident having had his handphone stolen, where then Batu Merah residents accused Gedung Putih residents that the perpetrator came from their neighborhood. A clash ensued and then shots were heard. Ibnu died while another man, M. Yasin Syukur was shot on the arm. (evi)
