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Jakarta Post

Protesters clash with police in Nabire as Papua protests continue

Karina M. Tehusijarana (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Thu, August 22, 2019

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Protesters clash with police in Nabire as Papua protests continue Protesters take to the street to face off with Indonesian police in Manokwari, Papua on Monday. (AFP/Str)

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nti-racism protests in Papua and West Papua continued for the fourth consecutive day amid an internet blackout, as thousands rallied in front of the Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) building in Nabire regency.

Nabire resident Eko Purwanto said the rally began at around 7 a.m. local time on Thursday and was initially peaceful.

Eko, whose house is only 200 meters away, said he heard the crowd threaten to set fire to the building.

In the past few days, DPRD buildings in Manokwari and Sorong have also been set on fire by protesters.

He estimated the rally was three or four times larger than similar protests held in the regency on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Papuan students in Jakarta also staged a long march from the Army headquarters to the State Palace.

The protesters demanded that legal action be taken against the instigators of the physical and verbal attacks on Papuan students in East Java.

The protests, which started on Monday, came in response to incidents in which Papuan university students living in Malang and Surabaya, East Java were subjected to physical and verbal attacks between last Thursday and Saturday.

In Surabaya, members of mass organizations as well as some security personnel were reportedly heard calling Papuan university students “monkeys”, “pigs” and “dogs” on Friday, while police also stormed the city’s Papuan student dormitory with tear gas on Saturday.

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