May 22 Riot; Police Arrest 101 Provocateurs

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Metro Police arrested 101 people suspected to be provocateurs at the riot on May 22 following the rally in front of Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) office building until Wednesday afternoon.

"As many as 101 people have been arrested," said Jakarta Metro Police Chief of public relation division, Sr. Comr Argo Yuwono in a text message on Wednesday, May 22, adding that it was a temporary number and possible to add.

Until now, a number of riots are taking place in several locations in Jakarta, such as in Slipi and Tanah Abang.

At around 13:20 Jakarta time, the authorities brought in dozens of people, part of the mass, to the Jakarta Metro Police criminal unit from the group who clashed in Petamburan. Their clothes looked dirty and their faces are bruised.

Meanwhile, Police chief of public relation Insp. Gen. Muhamad Iqbal said that his side had arrested 58 people for attempting to hit when they were asked to retreat during the rally in Bawaslu. Eleven people were also arrested following the car-burning at Brimob dormitory complex in Petamburan, West Jakarta.

According to Iqbal, the examination result showed that the provocateurs, currently under police detention, are from Central Java, West Java, and Banten. The police also seized an ambulance with stones inside it as evidence.

An initial clash broke among the demonstrators in front of Bawaslu office yesterday. Previously, the rally on May 21 ended peacefully and the mass had dispersed at 21:00 after performing tarawih prayers.

But at around 23.00, a group of people came from Wahid Hasyim and Sabang streets and broke the barbed wire set in front of Bawaslu office. They also attempted to attack the officers. The police then tried to turn away the demonstrators to Sabang until Tanah Abang area. The May 22 riot broke at Tanah Abang and Petamburan area.

Taufiq Siddiq

Read: Stones, Cash-Filled Van Confiscated at Police Complex Attack