The police said Saturday that the looting of convenience stores and other business units in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, on Friday night had nothing to do with the massive rally held by Muslim groups on the same day.

Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said that 15 people suspected of orchestrating the looting had been arrested, and they had not been among the hundreds of thousands of protesters demanding the prosecution of inactive Jakarta governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama for alleged blasphemy in Central Jakarta.

"They are denizens from surrounding areas, including from Muara Baru [North Jakarta] who used the rally as a moment to loot and create violence," Boy said.

Previously, a group carrying a banner reading "Laskar Masjid Luar Batang" (Luar Batang Mosque Militia) managed to reach the residential area in Pantai Mutiara, North Jakarta, where Ahok lives. However, they failed to enter the high-security gated community, which was heavily guarded by police officers and military personnel.

Failing to reach Ahok's residence, the group then returned to Luar Batang, where they tried to attack cars passing by in the street. The looting also occurred in this period of time.

A neighborhood next to Luar Batang, called Pasar Ikan was demolished in April this year, while the city planned to evict families in Luar Batang, part of the city’s heritage area, where the historical Luar Batang mosque stands. Ahok had planned to revitalize the mosque and evict some families as part of the Kota Tua revitalization project. (evi)

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