TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Activists from the Democratic Struggle Solidarity has reported the police, who prevented them in staging a rally at Tugu Yogyakarta, to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), Wednesday, February 24, 2016. The pro-LGBT activists has established communication with Komnas HAM after the clash with police.
Community Relations of the Democratic Struggle, Ani, said that activists has collected the data of 14 victims of police violence in the clash. They suffered small injuries and even sent to the hospital after being punched by police in the solar plexus. There were also activists whose hair were being pulled and also being punched. “We have establish communication with Komnas HAM,” said Ani to Tempo.
She said that Komnas HAM has also established communication with the police to take further action on the clash. In addition, activists will also get advocacy support from Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute. The activists, said Ani are not afraid of various threats and terror acts from intolerant groups. They call on every party to speak up against facist, hateful, intolerant groups.
The activists are currently preparing bigger support to stage a rally in commemoration of International Women’s Day on March 8, 2016.
At least 150 activists from the Democratic Struggle Solidarity staged a peaceful rally. They had protested against intolerant groups at the yard of fast food restaurant McDonald’s Yogyakarta, Tuesday afternoon, February 23, 2016. The activists gathered and stayed around the fastfood restaurant until evening.
They brought banners which, among others, reads Sultan Jogja darurat intoleransi (Yogya Sultan on intolerance alert), ke mana rasa aman kami (we are no longer safe), and LGBT cinta Jogja (LGBT love Yogya). The rally was staged as a protest against intolerant groups who had launched a series of threats against LGBT community. The activists are also tired of the violence conducted by intolerant groups against other democratic activities.
Initially, they planned to stage the rally at Tugu. However, police who have been patroling around McDonald’s prevented them for doing so due to security reasons. At Tugu, hundreds of people from Forum Ukhuwah Islamiyah Youth had been waiting for the pro-democracy activists. A mass people from Forum Ukhuwah Islamiyah who outnumbered pro-democracy activists were also staging a rally to reject LGBT at Titik Nol. Having been made aware of the counter-rally from pro-democracy activists, FUI blocked them at Tugu.
In addition, they also sent terrors and threats through chain message, which calls for documentation of figureheads and participants of the peaceful rally, to record the type of vehicles being used and its license plate and to follow the activists to their private residence. They would also hunt everyone responsible for the pro-LGBT rally. In a press release, they also condemned LGBT. They also declared war against all forms of legalizatin of LGBT movements.
In addition, they would also do whatever it takes to fight against LGBT, namely to burn, to stone or to drop someone from heights. They also displayed anti-LGBT banners at a number of locations.
SHINTA MAHARANI
