TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Protesters burned wreaths sent to Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or Ahok in front of the Jakarta City Hall during the celebration of the International Workers Day, also known as May Day, on May 1, 2017.
Based on Tempo’s observation, Jakarta Sanitation Agency’s officials and Public Facility Maintenance Agency (PPSU) workers had picked up burned wreaths on pickup trucks. The officials also cleaned up roads filled with debris of the wreaths. According to an official, there were seven wreaths burned by protesters.
Before the incident, several wreaths placed on a curb at Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan, Central Jakarta, fell down and were broken. Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) head Jupan Royter said that the incident occurred spontaneously.
“The chairman of the Federation of Metal, Electronic, and Machine Workers Union (FSP LEM SPSI) has issued an apology,” Jupan told journalists.
According to Jupan, the workers union claimed that it intended to clean up the wreaths, since they had withered.
Soon after, netizens responded to the wreath burning incident. Lawmaker from the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) Budiman Sudjatmiko tweeted on his Twitter account @budimandjatmiko, “The progressive workers’ movement is associated with a red rose. Those who burned flowers definitely don’t understand about the philosophy and the history of the workers’ movement.”
Former activist Fadjroel Rachman on his Twitter account @fadjroel posted a video footage showing the protesters burning wreaths for Ahok.
“Why [did they] burn down flowers?” Fadjroel tweeted.
REZKI ALVIONITASARI | JULI