Teenagers Aden, Rafi and Reza were strolling along Jl. Rawa Belong, West Jakarta, on Sunday afternoon, looking for a shop selling paraphernalia of their favorite soccer club, Persija.

The boys, who touted themselves as die-hard members of Jakmania, Persija’s fan club, had come to search out drums and drumsticks with which they would sound out their support at their club’s next Indonesian League fixture.

The trio said they made a point of attending all of Persija’s home games — even if they didn’t have tickets.

“If we don’t have tickets, we will support them from outside of the stadium,” said 13-year-old Rafi.
“We will do anything for Persija,” added Aden, 12.

Jakmania, founded in 1997, is a product of former Jakarta governor Sutiyoso, who was determined toinstill the spirit of soccer and community within the hearts of the capital’s residents.

What began as a community of a hundred has since grown into an army 30,000 strong, with registered members hailing from 50 regions.

As the team’s fan base has skyrocketed, so too have the numbers attending soccer matches and fan parades.

On home match days, thousands of fans parade Jakarta’s streets on foot or in hired public buses and cars.

However, such demonstrations of support often degenerate into rioting and vandalism.

Earlier this month, when Persija faced Tangerang-based Persitara at Lebak Bulus Stadium, groups of fans vandalized areas near Pondok Indah and Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta.

The incident prompted a temporary closure of all shops in the area.

Another brawl following a match against Bandung-based Persib last week claimed the life of a Jakmania fan and severely injured three others.

Jakarta Police made only three arrests on the day — detaining three supporters for carrying sharp objects into the stadium and ticketing 272 public buses and cars.

The three boys said they knew of some fans who brought sharp objects to matches and frequently provoked fights.

“We simply want to support our favorite team,” said Reza, 13, adding that he and his friends never got involved in fan violence.

“Usually we are protected by our coordinator,” Reza said, adding that the threats of riots and brawls would not dissuade him from supporting his team.

Kiki, 19, also a member of Jakmania, and supervisor of a Jakmania merchandise store called Gudang Oren in Rawa Belong rejected any association between Jakmania and violence.

“The violence does not have anything to do with being part of Jakmania, or Persija for that matter. It is often due to existing conflicts between subdistricts or areas,” Kiki said.

He said the riot that broke out after Persija’s recent match with Persib had been started by rival supporter groups from Manggarai, South Jakarta, and a nearby borough.

Kiki said Jakmaniacs typically carried weapons to matches for defense against attacks by rival supporters.

“Fans of Persita, a rival club in north Jakarta, often mock Jakmania fans by impersonating them, and they ask for trouble during a match,” he said.

Psychologist Seto Mulyadi said the violence was due to a lack of supervision by authorities on match days.

“It seems the authorities allow this to happen but it can all be prevented if they put up a show of,” he told The Jakarta Post.

He said the tendency toward violence during matches was largely due to a mob mentality, adding that authorities must take firm action in managing fans and quelling riots.

“They should press criminal charges if necessary,” Seto said.

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