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.
Police slammed for allegedly stopping people from joining protests in Jakarta
Change Size
Vote of no confidence: In Denpasar, Bali, hundreds of student demonstrators write protest slogans on a road in front of the Regional Legislative Council building. (JP/Zul Trio Anggono)
A
fter Jakarta saw another wave of protests on Monday, police officers heightened security measures in what appeared to be an attempt to prevent those living outside the capital from joining a demonstration in front of the House of Representatives complex compound.
With reports emerging that the police were conducting sweeps to stop would-be protesters, prodemocracy activists have lambasted the move and called for the police to refrain from being repressive against those who want to voice their aspirations.
Twitter user @iswan214 posted a video on Monday morning showing police personnel standing guard at a Bogor train station in West Java. The officers asked several people who allegedly planned to go to Jakarta to participate in the protests to cancel their trips and return home.
Di stasiun Bogor mulai ada sweeping dari jam 9:00. 30/9/19
reformasidikorupsi
MahasiswaBersatu
MahasiswaHarusBergerak
Rep : @rakyatoposiai88 pic.twitter.com/hRTtN4uqgh
— 🇲🇨 🇲 🇮 🇳 🇮 🇲🇨 (@iswan214) September 30, 2019
Another Twitter user, @AntiTesisAktion, posted a photo showing female police officers standing around several people wearing high school uniforms at the Daru train station in Tangerang.
(Jakarta) - Stasiun Daru mulai di sweeping Polisi. Antisipasi, atur Strategi!#Pelajarbergerak!#Reformasidikorupsi pic.twitter.com/tEyAkTBFVG
— Anti-Tesis (@AntiTesisAktion) September 30, 2019
“The police have begun a sweep of Daru train station. Prepare for this, plan your strategy!” the post read.
A coalition of civil society groups called Democracy Advocacy Team said it received reports from the public that police personnel had conducted sweeps inside trains and in train stations, arresting students prior to the protests and hindering their attempts to reach the parliament compound in Central Jakarta.
In front of the House’s compound on Jl. Gatot Subroto, the police had set up 100-meter blockades, preventing protesters from reaching the House’s front gate.
As of 3 p.m., some among thousands of protesters attempted to knock down the blockades.
“Voicing aspirations is part of our human rights,” the coalition said, “We asked for all parties, including law enforcers, to refrain from violence and using [repressive] measures outside the standard procedure.”
National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo dismissed claims that the force conducted sweeps to prevent people from joining the protests.
“Our operation is to maintain public order and security, an early prevention measure against the potential for public disorder, which could happen at any time,” Dedi told The Jakarta Post by text message on Monday afternoon.
When asked whether the police were specifically targeting people who intended to join the Jakarta protests, Dedi said: “[The target is] everyone who is a potential [threat] to public order.”
The protests against the government and the House continued on Monday in Jakarta, involving students, activists and community groups, including labor groups and environmentalists, as the legislative body held its last plenary session for the 2014-2019 term.
Aside from Jakarta, similar protests also took place in other regions across the country, including Yogyakarta and Bali.
