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Police, soldiers secure police headquarters amid FPI rally
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On guard -- Hundreds of police officers and military personnel secure the National Police headquarters as members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) stage a mass rally on Monday to demand the dismissal of West Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Anton Charliyan. (JP/Safrin La Batu)
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undreds of police officers and military personnel are on standby around the National Police headquarters in South Jakarta as members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) are holding a rally to demand the dismissal of West Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Anton Charliyan.
Some of the police officers are fully equipped to handle mass riots, while others deployed to stand face-to-face with rally participants are just carrying shields. Heavy police equipment was seen around the headquarters.
Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. M. Iriawan said earlier that around 2,000 officers and 800 military personnel had been prepared to secure the rally.
Attended by hundreds of FPI followers, the rally has been running peacefully, despite some traffic jams on streets near the police building. Traffic police offices are striving to ensure the safe and smooth flow of vehicles.
Representatives of the rally participants were allowed to enter the police headquarters to meet police representatives to convey their demands. The meeting is still ongoing.
The rally was held to demand Anton’s removal from his position after violence broke out between FPI members and followers of mass organization Gerakan Masyarakat Bawah Indonesia (Indonesian Grassroots Society Movement, or GMBI) during the questioning of FPI leader Rizieq Shihab over a case involving alleged insults of Pancasila, the state ideology.
Following the clash, FPI sympathizers attacked the GMBI office in Ciampea, Bogor regency, West Java, on Friday morning. (ebf)
