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Semarang Police arrest dozens of students protesting jobs law
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Students protest the newly passed Omnibus Law on Job Creation under the Pasar Rebo overpass in East Jakarta on Wednesday. (JP/P.J.Leo)
T
he police arrested dozens of students protesting the recently passed and highly controversial Job Creation Law in front of the Central Java Governor's Office in Semarang on Wednesday.
"We have detained them and will question them at the city police office. There are about 50 to 100 people," said Semarang Police head Sr. Comr. Auliansyah Lubis, as quoted by kompas.com.
Some of the protestors allegedly tore down the gates of the governor's office. Some students and police officers were reportedly injured after being hit by the metal gates.
The protestors also threw water bottles, stones and other objects, causing some damage to the building.
Police fired tear gas to disperse the protesters.
“We suspect that there were outsiders, but we can’t announce it yet. We will look into it,” Auliansyah said.
Read also: Rallies against job creation law turn violent as police clash with protesters
Worker and students have been protesting throughout the country against the recently passed jobs law. Protesters and security personnel have clashed in several regions, including Bendungan Hilir in Jakarta, Gejayan in Yogyakarta, Cikarang and Bandung in West Java and Samarinda and Kutai Kertanegara in East Kalimantan.
The House of Representatives and the government passed the omnibus bill on job creation into law on Monday, sooner than their original plan to pass the bill on Thursday.
Many members of the public object to the law, fearing negative impacts on environmental and labor rights. Social media users expressed their frustration with the hashtags #DPRRIKhianatiRakyat (#HouseBetraysThePeople), #BatalkanOmnibusLaw (#CancelTheOmnibusLaw) and #MosiTidakPercaya (#VoteOfNoConfidence).
Thousands of students plan to rally on Thursday in front of the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta to demand that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo issue a regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) to veto the newly passed law.
