11 injured as police fire on protesters: Reports<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Police in the North Sumatra capital of Medan
\nshot into a crowd of about 5,000 students and workers during a
\nprotest over a land dispute on Tuesday, wounding at least 11,
\nlocal hospital sources said.<\/p>\n
Speaking to The Jakarta Post by telephone from Medan, nurses
\nat Nur Shadah Hospital and Elizabeth Hospital said that most of
\nthe injured suffered gunshot wounds.<\/p>\n
They said they were told more were injured but others were
\nhastily treated at home.<\/p>\n
Nurse Risanti of the police-owned Polda Sumut Hospital
\nrevealed that \"a number\" of members of the elite mobile brigade
\npolice were also injured in the clash.<\/p>\n
\"We've been ordered to send a doctor and three nurses to treat
\nthe wounded officers at police headquarters,\" she told the Post.<\/p>\n
Reports said the mobile brigade police opened fire when the
\nprotesters converged outside the headquarters of state-run
\nplantation company PTP Nusantara II in Tanjung Morawa, about 30
\nkilometers south of Medan, to voice grievances over the land
\ndispute.<\/p>\n
Protesters earlier gathered outside the North Sumatra
\ngovernor's office to protest what they claimed was illegal
\nappropriation of their land by the state sugar cane and tobacco
\nplantation company.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot reclaim our land through a peaceful way. We have to
\nuse violence ...,\" one of the protesters was quoted by Reuters as
\nsaying.<\/p>\n
Protesters headed to Tanjung Morawa in the afternoon, vowing
\nthey would retake the land by force.<\/p>\n
The private SCTV television station in its evening news
\nbroadcast showed the crowd fleeing as shots rang out, with police
\nchasing and rounding up stragglers, some of whom were injured.<\/p>\n
The TV report said the police were pelted with rocks by the
\nprotesters, which prompted officers to open fire.<\/p>\n
\"We gave emergency first aid to the 11 victims shortly after
\nthe incident,\" said nurse Asnia of Nur Shadah, located about
\nthree kilometers from the scene.<\/p>\n
Due to the shortage of facilities at the hospital, all of the
\nvictims were transferred to Elizabeth Hospital, she added.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know which ones are students and which ones are
\nworkers, but most of them suffered gunshot wounds,\" Asnia said.<\/p>\n
A nurse, who asked not to be named, confirmed the arrival of
\nthe 11 victims transferred from Nur Shadah, but added her
\nhospital also received several others victims, including ones
\nwith gunshot injuries.<\/p>\n
\"We're currently treating all of them. Those with gunshot
\nwounds have been hastily rushed into surgery.\" She could not give
\na precise count but said \"there's more than 11\".<\/p>\n
North Sumatra Police could not be reached for comment.
\n(01\/bsr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/11-injured-as-police-fire-on-protesters-reports-1447893297",
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