Protesters smash up coordinator's car<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of people protesting the fuel hike at
\nthe House of Representatives ran amok on Tuesday and damaged a
\ncar they said belonged to someone who hired them for the rally.<\/p>\n
The some 500 \"protesters\", who claimed not to fully understand
\nwhat they were protesting about, said they were upset after the
\nrally coordinator failed to pay them the promised Rp 30,000 (US$
\n3.50) each.<\/p>\n
The people, including housewives with babies and children in
\ntow, arrived at the People Consultative Assembly\/House of
\nRepresentatives (MPR\/DPR) compound at about 7:30 a.m. to protest
\nthe rise in fuel prices.<\/p>\n
At 1:45 p.m., they smashed a Toyota Kijang van belonging to
\nthe rally's coordinator, identified by the people and police as
\nHeri Siregar, using wooden sticks and car tools, such as a lug
\nwrench, found in the unlocked vehicle.<\/p>\n
Those with empty hands managed to remove all the doors of the
\nvehicle.<\/p>\n
The mob then attempted to set the car ablaze but failed. A few
\nminutes later several police officers arrived at the scene and
\nsecured the van.<\/p>\n
Several demonstrators told The Jakarta Post that Heri promised
\nto pay them shortly after their arrival at the MPR\/DPR compound.<\/p>\n
\"He left two hours ago, saying he would come back with the
\nmoney. But he hasn't reappeared,\" Ati, 35, said.<\/p>\n
\"We are hungry and thirsty, and have no money to buy food and
\ndrink,\" Ati said while appearing to be holder her temper in
\ncheck. \"Luckily, a police officer gave my little daughter
\nsomething to eat.\"<\/p>\n
Other groups were also protesting at the compound, demanding
\nthat the government cancel the 12 percent increase in fuel
\nprices, which became effective on Sunday.<\/p>\n
However, other rallies went on without incident.<\/p>\n
The 500 protesters who smashed the van said they had no idea
\nwho they were representing.<\/p>\n
Heri was nowhere to be found.<\/p>\n
A man named Diding claimed that Heri had rented the car from a
\nneighbor in Kalideres in West Jakarta for a man named Ooy. He
\nrefused to elaborate.<\/p>\n
Half an hour after the incident, one of Heri's men arrived and
\ndoled out the promised money to the participants of the rally,
\nwho then dispersed in stages.<\/p>\n
According to the protesters, who mostly came from areas in the
\ncapital including Dukuh Atas and Pasar Rumput in Central Jakarta,
\nManggarai in South Jakarta, Jatinegara in East Jakarta, and
\nBekasi, they participated in the rally simply for the money.<\/p>\n
\"It's better than sitting around doing nothing,\" a man from
\nJatinegara said.<\/p>\n
Ati, who looked much older than she claimed to be, said she
\nplanned to use the money to pay her daughter's school tuition
\nwhich was two months overdue.<\/p>\n
Another participant of the rally, Siti, said most of the
\nprotesters were poor people who were picked up on the streets to
\nparticipate in the protest.<\/p>\n
\"I'm only a scavenger, Pak. I need the money,\" said Siti, who
\nhails from Bekasi.<\/p>\n
Some of the demonstrators replied with clueless smiles when
\nasked if they were really at the compound to protest the fuel
\nhike.<\/p>\n
Before the mob smashed the van, many of the protesters lounged
\naround the legislature building complex, saying they were thirsty
\nand hungry and needed to rest.<\/p>\n
Some of the men stripped off to their underwear and swam in
\nthe big fountain pool in the compound.<\/p>\n
The capital has witnessed various protests, mostly against
\ngovernment policy, former president Soeharto and the military, in
\nwhich the participants were paid by sponsors.<\/p>\n
In Heri's case, for example, his real identity and his motive
\nbehind financially supporting the rally with an estimated Rp 15
\nmillion remain a mystery.<\/p>\n
Some of the participants said that Heri and his group
\ninitially wanted 1,000 people to participate in the rally.<\/p>\n
Last week, several participants of a pro-Soeharto rally near
\nhis residence on Jl. Cendana in Central Jakarta claimed they were
\npaid Rp 20,000 each.<\/p>\n
Some of them said they were unaware that they would be
\nsupporting Soeharto until they got into the buses and saw the
\nbanners. (jaw)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/protesters-smash-up-coordinators-car-1447893297",
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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