Greenpeace Indonesia Cyclists Intercepted, Intimidated Amid Journey to G20 Summit

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The team of cyclists from Greenpeace Indonesia, under the ‘chasing the shadow’ campaign, who were pedaling their way to the G20 Summit in Bali has reportedly been subject to intimidation as they were passing East Java’s Probolinggo. One of the cyclists, according to the watchdog’s press statement, was told to stop their journey by people claiming to represent local Probolinggos. 

“One of our members in the group was forced to make a legally signed statement that they would not continue their journey and stop campaigning during the G20 Summit in Bali,” the press statement from Greenpeace Indonesia wrote, on November 8.

This incident happened as the cyclists were stopping by the region on Monday, November 7, when they were intercepted by a group of people who specifically told them to stop the ‘chasing the shadow’ campaign. 

Greenpeace Indonesia says that this is not an isolated problem as their team had also been subjected to intimidation in Semarang, while en route to Bali. The perpetrators were either unidentifiable or others were allegedly wearing security uniforms. The climate watchdog’s session on a radio station was also interrupted by seven individuals claiming to be from the police while they were on air. 

Various other forms of repression marred the ‘chasing the shadow’ team’s trip with another case prior to the Probolinggo incident that saw their vehicle’s tire slashed while it was parked. 

“It peaked during the trip to Probolinggo. The threats were blatantly clear, either verbally or in the form of tire slashing,” the statement reads. 

Greenpeace considers this action very damaging to the principles of democracy and a violation of the freedom of expression that is guaranteed in Indonesia’s constitution. 

ARRIJAL RACHMAN

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