Provocateurs Suspected Behind Students' Protest Gone Amiss
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26 September 2019 07:58 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The University of Indonesia’s (UI) students’ executive board (BEM) suspected that there were a number of people intentionally provoking the college students’ protest at the House of Representatives (DPR) headquarters on Tuesday.
The BEM UI chairman Manik Margamahendra recalled witnessing suspicious people seemingly planted amidst the rows of students that acted as provocateurs.
“There seem to be suspicious people within the group of students. We initially only demanded to meet and communicate with the House Speaker,” said Manik on Wednesday at the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) in Jakarta.
His suspicion was backed by the timeline where the initially peaceful rally turned rather violent that started on 4 in the afternoon. At the time, Manik witnessed a number of people without university attributes attempting to tear down the DPR gates and burned several items nearby the DPR gates.
Tempo’s observation in the field saw a number of people without college apparels from the middle of the protesters throwing stones, bottles, and wood pieces toward the police behind the DPR gates.
Some had even climbed police barricaded vehicles, which was noted by Central Jakarta Police Chief Grand Commissioner Harry Kurniawan. “College students please do not get provoked. Look at those on top of the police barricade, are they part of your group?” Harry asked during the rally.
M ROSSENO AJI
