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Protests erupt against ‘discriminatory’ COVID-19 testing on Suramadu bridge
Protesters have taken to the streets of Surabaya to demand an end to “discriminatory” gatekeeping at the Surabaya-Madura (Suramadu) bridge, amid a surge of COVID-19 cases in Madura’s Bangkalan regency and inundated hospitals in the East Java capital.
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Motorists cross the Suramadu bridge in Bangkalan, East Java, on July 30, 2020. Commuters using the bridge, which connects the islands of Java and Madura, are being screened for COVID-19 upon arrival on the Surabaya side, sparking accusations of discrimination at a time when Bangkalan regency is experiencing a sharp rise in cases. (Antara/Zabur Karuru)
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rotesters have taken to the streets of Surabaya to demand an end to “discriminatory” gatekeeping at the Surabaya-Madura (Suramadu) bridge, amid a surge of COVID-19 cases in Madura’s Bangkalan regency and inundated hospitals in the East Java capital.
Hundreds of people rallied in front of Surabaya City Hall on Monday, calling on Mayor Eri Cahyadi to put an end to the screening of travelers crossing into the city from Madura along the Suramadu bridge.
Commuters to the mainland have been required to take COVID-19 antigen swab tests and have been turned back if the results come back positive.
But instead of curbing the spread of the virus, protesters insist, the policy discriminates against the people of Madura as one of its regencies experiences an uptick in infections believed to be imported from returning migrant workers.
An orator at the rally accused the mayor of only intending to protect Surabaya residents and not the Madurese. Protestors said the policy was detrimental to Madura residents as it would further weaken the local economy.
The longer this policy remained in place, the orator said, the more likely it was that the Madurese would “starve to death”.
The bridge is the only direct road connecting the island of Madura to Surabaya.
