TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Jakarta Police apprehend seven alleged provocateurs in rally protesting jobs bill

Moch. Fiqih Prawira Adjie (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sun, August 16, 2020

Share This Article

Change Size

Jakarta Police apprehend seven alleged provocateurs in rally protesting jobs bill Jakarta Police personnel install a barbed-wire barricade as part of security measures for protests during the annual People's Consultative Assembly meeting at the House of Representatives complex in Jakarta on Friday, Aug. 14, 2020. (Antara/Indrianto Eko Suwarso)

T

he Jakarta Police have apprehended seven alleged provocateurs at a rally protesting the controversial omnibus bill on job creation in front of the House of Representatives complex in Central Jakarta on Friday.

The police initially netted more than 100 people who allegedly infiltrated the rally to incite riots, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Yusri Yunus said. Of those detained, seven faced questioning while the rest were released.

The seven people were apprehended for carrying items deemed suspicious, such as flags bearing the sigil of a so-called anarcho-syndicalist group, rocks and bottles that the police claimed resembled Molotov cocktails.

"[We suspect that] five of them are members of the anarcho-syndicalist group and one is a former member," Yusri told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

"We are still questioning and investigating them."

Read also: Komnas HAM calls for stop to job creation omnibus bill deliberations

In April, the police claimed that the group had committed acts of vandalism and provocation to trigger social unrest across the island of Java amid public anxiety over the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thousands of protesters comprising students and laborers gathered at the legislative complex in Senayan on Friday to demand the House and the government end deliberation of the omnibus bill on job creation. They condemned contentious articles stipulating manpower affairs, fearing the bill, if passed, would take away workers' rights.

They protested outside the House during the annual People’s Consultative Assembly meeting attended by the country’s executive, legislative and judicial branches. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo delivered his state of the union address at the meeting, held ahead of Indonesia’s 75th anniversary on Monday.

 

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.