Soccer hooligans leave trail of destruction<\/p>\n
Musthofid and Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
As two soccer teams fought it out on Thursday evening on the
\npitch of the Bung Karno Sports Stadium in Central Jakarta, fires
\nwere started at two different points in the stands, prompting two
\npolice armored vehicles to enter the stadium to restore order.<\/p>\n
The fires, which soon died down, were apparently started by
\nfanatic supporters of Persebaya Surabaya, which lost 1-2 to host
\nPersija Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The situation was soon brought under control as Persebaya fans
\nquickly left the ground after the match ended.<\/p>\n
The situation, however, worsened during the second match of
\nthe evening, this time pitting PSM Makassar against PSMS Medan,
\nwhich followed on after the first game.<\/p>\n
As the hard-fought match was coming to an end, some groups of
\nspectators started to burn and break up seats in the stands.<\/p>\n
An advertising hoarding in the upper level of section 13 was
\nset ablaze while projectiles were thrown down on security
\npersonnel.<\/p>\n
But the situation was brought under control again after the
\narrival of two fire trucks.<\/p>\n
\"As long as they do not interfere with the game, we will
\nconsider it as still being under control,\" said Sartomo, chairman
\nof the organizing committee.<\/p>\n
He noted that the committee would impose tighter security
\nmeasures on Sunday when President Megawati Soekarnoputri was
\nscheduled to attend the final.<\/p>\n
The presence of penniless hooligans, locally known as bonek,
\ndid not only disturb the serious soccer fans who went to the
\nstadium to enjoy the game, but also Jakartans who worked or
\nexercised in or around the stadium.<\/p>\n
Many people were too scared to go to the area for their usual
\nmorning jog on Thursday as hundreds of soccer fans spent the
\nnight camping out at the Bung Karno Sport Complex.<\/p>\n
However, not all the supporters who spent the night at the
\nsports complex could be described as hooligans.<\/p>\n
Sophian, a soccer fan from Makassar, claimed that he spent the
\nnight at the stadium in order to get in quickly to see his
\nbeloved PSM Makassar playing on Thursday afternoon.<\/p>\n
\"I don't have enough cash at the moment so I've brought along
\nsome merchandise to sell here. Many supporters from Makassar want
\nto buy this stuff,\" said Sophian, displaying his red scarfs and
\nT-shirts.<\/p>\n
Another supporter, Sambudi from Gubeng, Surabaya, East Java,
\nsaid that even though he did not have much money, he still would
\nnot break the law.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton Bachrul Alam said on
\nThursday that the police had conducted a raid at the sports
\ncomplex for undesirable elements but that no arrests had been
\nmade.<\/p>\n
At least 1,800 security officers have been deployed to provide
\nsecurity at the semifinals of the Bank Mandiri League, which
\nkicked off on Thursday.<\/p>",
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