Jakarta – Clashes broke out during a joint civil society demonstration in front of the Grahadi State Building in Surabaya, East Java, on Friday August 29. Fires erupted in the building courtyard after protesters allegedly threw Molotov cocktails.
This action was held to protest violence by the authorities following the death of online motorcycle taxi (ojol) driver Affan Kurniawan after he was run over by a Mobile Brigade (Brimob) armoured vehicle in Pejompongan, Jakarta, on Thursday August 28, following a demonstration at the House of Representatives (DPR) building which ended in chaos.
According to CNN Indonesia's monitoring at the location, a group of people wearing casual clothes and motorcycle taxi jackets continuously threw objects at the police on guard at the front gate to the Grahadi Building, which serves as the East Java governor's office.
Several unconfirmed demonstrators also threw objects suspected to be Molotov cocktails toward the eastern courtyard of Grahadi Building. As a result, a fire broke out in the courtyard and set several motorcycles on fire. Black smoke billowed into the air.
"Revolution, revolution, revolution", shouted the crowd.
As of this article being posted, clashes were ongoing, with protesters throwing stones and pulling back razor wire barricades, while police deployed water cannons. Traffic on Jalan Gubernur Suryo was paralysed.
Zaldi Maulana, the head of the Human Rights Campaign Bureau (KanHAM) of the Surabaya chapter of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), stated that there were several demands made during the action.
The demonstrators are urging National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo to:
1. Stop the use of excessive violence in handling demonstrations and protests.
2. Dismiss and punish according to criminal law mechanisms all police personnel who have been proven to have committed acts of violence which resulted in the death of Affan Kurniawan.
3. Provide restitution and rehabilitation to all victims of police violence during the demonstrations on August 25-28.
4. Release all participants in the demonstrations on August 25-28 who are currently being detained at the Metro Jaya Jakarta Regional Police Headquarters (Mapolda).
5. Apply human rights principles and standards in the implementation of duties by the Republic of Indonesia National Police.
(frd/har)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Bentrokan di Surabaya Pecah, Api Berkobar di Grahadi".]
