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.
Semarang Police name five students suspects in chaotic May Day protest
Students who participated in the protest, along with journalists covering the event, reported excessive use of force by police, which resulted in multiple injuries and dozens of arrests.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Police officers surround a protester on Aug. 22, 2024, amid the demonstration against the revision of the Regional Elections Law, in front of the Parliament complex in Central Jakarta. (Antara/Muhammad Adimaja)
T
he Semarang Police in Central Java have named six suspects, including five students from several universities across the city, following last week’s heated May Day protest, raising further concerns about the shrinking civic space in the country.
Semarang Police Chief Sr. Comr. M. Syahduddi claimed that the six suspects were affiliated with an anarcho-syndicalist group and were involved in acts of vandalism and violence during the demonstration.
“They burned tires, threw objects at officers and damaged public facilities at the scene, resulting in injuries to three officers,” Syahduddi said over the weekend, as reported by Tempo.
Anarcho-syndicalism is a form of anarchist movement that promotes direct action by the working class to dismantle capitalism and the state, aiming to replace them with a society organized around worker-managed production units.
According to Syahduddi, the suspects allegedly played different roles in "orchestrating chaos" during the May Day protest. He added that the police are still investigating whether an intellectual actor was behind the movement.
The six suspects —identified only by their initials as 22-year-old MAS, 19-year-old KM, 22-year-old ADA, 19-year-old ANH, 21-year-old MJR and 21-year-old AZG— have been charged under Articles 214 and 170 of the Criminal Code for resisting law enforcement and committing group assault. They could face up to seven years in prison if convicted.
Syahduddi stated that the police are continuing to pursue other alleged anarcho-syndicalist activists involved in the unrest, noting that one of the suspects was reportedly a member of a WhatsApp group linked to the anarcho-syndicalist movement.
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.
