Demonstrations Heated up in Jakarta and Other Cities After an Online Motorcycle Taxi Driver Was Killed by a Brimob Vehicle

PERSINVESTIGASI.COM - Demonstrations heated up in Jakarta and other cities on Friday (29/08), after the day before an online motorcycle taxi driver named Affan Kurniawan died after being run over by a Brimob armored vehicle.

In Jakarta, hundreds of online motorcycle taxi drivers came to the Mobile Brigade Headquarters of the Metro Jaya Regional Police on Jalan Kwitang, Central Jakarta , Friday (29/08).

In essence, they are asking for a guarantee or certainty that the Brimob members who were in the Brimob tactical vehicle will be punished severely.

Meanwhile, President Prabowo Subianto promised to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation so that the officers involved are held accountable."If we find them acting outside of propriety and the applicable provisions, we will take the strongest possible action in accordance with applicable law," President Prabowo said in a video broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel on Friday (29/08).

Galuh, a 42-year-old motorcycle taxi driver, asked for the murder of Affan Kurniawan to be thoroughly investigated, including giving appropriate punishment to the barracuda drivers who ran over Affan's body, Thursday (28/5) evening.

"Don't protect them. They must be punished as fairly as possible," he told BBC News journalist Faisal Irfani near Mako Brimob on Friday (29/05).

Galuh assessed that the incident during Thursday night's demonstration could no longer be forgiven.

"The police's job is to protect the public, not to kill them!" he stressed.

There was a clash between the crowd and the police, but it was stopped after a Brimob representative appeared before the crowd.

"We apologize," said one of the Brimob representatives, repeatedly, half shouting.

He also stated that the alleged Brimob officer "accidentally" ran over the motorcycle taxi driver, Affan Kurniawan. The crowd then chanted "boo."

He promised that Polda Metro Jaya would release the latest developments in the investigation of a number of Brimob members suspected of being responsible for the incident.

"Seven perpetrators have been detained at Polda Metro Jaya," he said.

In front of representatives of the Brimob and TNI leadership, the demonstrators demanded that the investigation into this case be carried out transparently.

They also demanded that the detained demonstrators be released.
At around 2:00 PM WIB (Western Indonesian Time), the situation escalated, with protesters beginning to force their way onto the road in front of the Kwitang Mobile Brigade Headquarters in Central Jakarta. They had previously been held back by soldiers.

In front of the Mobile Brigade Headquarters (Mako Brimob), the crowd chanted protests and urged the police to come out and show themselves. They also tore down signs bearing the name "Brimob" and set off firecrackers.

"Don't let power become a tool to oppress its own people!" said Sudarmanto, a 40-year-old motorcycle taxi driver.At around 15.00 WIB, police fired tear gas from inside the Kwitang Mobile Brigade Headquarters, Central Jakarta.

The crowd then ran in panic to avoid the tear gas.

BBC News Indonesia's monitoring showed that many people were experiencing shortness of breath and coughing.

Still in Jakarta, more than 1,000 people consisting of students and the general public came to the Polda Metro Jaya office on Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, South Jakarta .

The clash occurred when police cars and buses left the Polda Metro Jaya and passed in front of the demonstrators.

Protesters blocked the police convoy from the front and sides, shouting insults and throwing stones at the group, as reported by BBC News Indonesia journalist Raja Eben Lumbanrau.

A van was destroyed by a stone. The group then returned to the Metro Jaya Police Headquarters.

How are the demonstrations in other cities?

At least 1,000 online motorcycle taxi drivers in Solo demonstrated at the Brimob Battalion C Pelopor headquarters on Jalan Adi Sucipto, Manahan, Solo. They held the demonstration in solidarity with the death of online motorcycle taxi driver Affan Kurniawan.

As the afternoon wore on, the crowd grew. They shouted "murderer" in front of the Mobile Brigade headquarters. The shaking caused one of the headquarters' gates to collapse, according to journalist Fajar Sodiq, reporting for BBC News Indonesia.

The demonstration was also attended by a number of students dressed as scouts. They threw stones and bottles at police and Brimob officers guarding the headquarters grounds.

Police officers tried to prevent the crowd from entering the Brimob headquarters.

Brimob officers fired tear gas to push back thousands of demonstrators.

Protesters, students, and residents in the surrounding area immediately scattered, fleeing the area, heading north and east toward Plaza Manahan.

However, thousands of protesters returned to the Brimob headquarters and burned the road divider installed on Jalan Adi Sucipto.

Apart from Solo, demonstrations took place in Surabaya, Bandung, and Medan.

In Surabaya , a demonstration took place in front of the Grahadi State Building.

Protesters from various elements moved towards the east side gate of Grahadi while shouting their rejection of the police's repressive attitude, as reported by journalist Petrus Riski.

A number of demonstrators, consisting of students and online motorcycle taxi drivers, also threw various objects towards the Grahadi courtyard.

The police then fired tear gas and water cannons.

In Bandung, around 1,000 people demonstrated in front of the West Java DPRD office, Jalan Diponegoro, Bandung City, Friday (29/08).

Police fired tear gas at least three times at the protesters, as reported by journalist Yulia Saputra.

In Medan, hundreds of people held a follow-up demonstration outside the North Sumatra DPRD building, Medan City, Friday (29/08).

The crowd did not only come from students and pupils, but also online motorcycle taxi drivers.

In order to disperse the crowd, the authorities fired tear gas and water cannons, according to a report by journalist.

Source Of Information : BBC

Editor : Fit