Jakarta – Mass actions that began with a demonstration demanding justice for the death of online motorcycle taxi driver (ojol) Affan Kurniawan, who was run over by a paramilitary Mobile Brigade (Brimob) tactical vehicle at an August 28 demonstrations, are still smouldering in a number of cities as of Friday evening August 29.
As of this article being written at 9.35 pm, mass actions are still observed to be smouldering in Central Jakarta, Surabaya in East Java and Makassar in South Sulawesi.
Based on monitoring from inside the Metro Jaya Regional Police Headquarters (Mapolda) in Central Jakarta, protesters are still gathering in front of all of the gates to the Jakarta police headquarters this evening. Not only that, the pedestrian crossing elevator and the Transjakarta bus stop in front of the Metro Jaya Police Headquarters were also seen to be on fire.
Meanwhile in front of the parliamentary complex, which is not far from the Metro Jaya Police Headquarters, the masses are still gathering.
From within the parliamentary complex, the Pejompongan toll gate which is on the other side could be seen to be on fire. The burning of the toll gate in front of the parliamentary complex occurred at 9.10 pm. Flames and black smoke billowed high over the sea of demonstrators who have remained there since 2 pm.
Speaking through a megaphone meanwhile, the commander of the police officers appealed to the masses several times to disband, but this was ignored. Even so, there was no significant action taken by the police.
Since early afternoon and the early evening the previous day, police officers have only stood guard behind the DPR gates. They have tended to remain passive in response to the protesters wrath who threw bottles, stones, firecrackers and Molotov cocktails.
It is not yet known how long the protesters will remain at the location. One of the demonstrators admitted that they were just waiting.
Surabaya
The situation in Surabaya remained tense on Friday evening. Several roads in the city centre were closed due to the clashes between police and protesters demonstrating in solidarity with Affan Kurniawan.
According CNN Indonesia's observations at the location, the roads that were closed off included at the least Jalan Basuki Rahmat, Jalan Gubernur Suryo, Jalan Yos Sudarso, Jalan Pemuda and Jalan Panglima Sudirman.
Protesters blocked several roads by setting fire to water barriers in the middle of the lanes. Fires even flared in front of the parking entrance to the Tunjungan Plaza Mall.
The demonstrators who could be seen still holding their ground around Jalan Basuki Rahmat also set fire to water barriers right in front of the Tegalsari Sectoral Police Headquarters (Mapolsek).
Makassar
In Makassar meanwhile, the South Sulawesi Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) offices were surrounded by a crowd of people who were protesting over Kurniawan's death.
According to CNN Indonesia's monitoring, the crowd attempted to break into the DPRD offices on Jalan Urip Sumoharjo and threw stones at it, despite the darkness.
Then when personnel from the Makassar Metropolitan District Police (Polrestabes) violent crimes sub-directorate (Jatanras) arrived from the direction of the flyover bridge they were immediately pelted with stones by the protesters who were vandalising the DPRD offices.
Furthermore, the Makassar municipal DPRD offices also became a target of the protesters who had previously gathered in front of the Makassar State University (UNM) campus, who threw stones and set fire to several motorbikes. The crowd also set fire to a police post at the AP Pettarani-Sultan Alauddin intersection.
Meanwhile as of 8.59 pm, the police had arrested three protesters. at the locations where demonstrators had caused damage.
From CNN Indonesia's monitoring, since 2.30 pm protesting students had blocked the road in front of the Indonesia Muslim University (UMI) campus on Jalan Urip Sumoharjo, then in front of the Hasanuddin University (Unhas) on Jalan Perintis Kemerdekaan and in front of the UNM on Jalan AP Pettarani, as well as the intersection of Jalan AP Pettarani-Sultan Alauddin. However, there were no uniformed police officers to provide security.
Students in front of the UMI campus blocked the road by burning old tyres and stopping a garbage truck, then ordering the driver to throw the garbage along the road in front of the campus.
They also hijacked a container truck and took turns in giving speeches demanding justice and condemning the repressive actions of the police during the August 28 demonstration in Jakarta that resulted in Kurniawan's death.
In recent days, people from various backgrounds have demonstrated around the parliamentary building in Jakarta strongly criticising recent DPR policies, including an increase in housing allowances parliamentary members. (tim/kid)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Aksi Massa Masih Membara di Sejumlah Kota, Jakarta-Surabaya-Makassar".]
