Thousands protest public order raids<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): More than 3,000 disadvantaged people, mostly
\nstreet singers and pedicab drivers, rallied in front of City Hall
\non Thursday, protesting the public order raids mounted against
\nthem by the city administration.<\/p>\n
Arriving in their pedicabs, the protesters, grouped under the
\numbrella of the Urban Poor Consortium (UPC), demanded that the
\nadministration close down the Kedoya \"rehabilitation\" center in
\nWest Jakarta where street workers netted during public order
\nraids are detained.<\/p>\n
Using a sound system mounted on the bed of an open truck, the
\nprotesters also demanded the closure of the Jakarta Public Order
\nOffice's store in Cakung, North Jakarta, where pedicabs and
\nmerchandise confiscated during public order raids are kept.<\/p>\n
\"The Kedoya prison and the Cakung store are an insult to
\nhumanity. The present administration is more ruthless than the
\nDutch colonial administration,\" the group's coordinator Edy Saedy
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The group earlier in the day visited the Kedoya center in an
\neffort to free those of their comrades being held there, but
\nfailed to do so as the center was tightly guarded.<\/p>\n
They then moved to the Cakung warehouse, where they pulled
\ndown the warehouse's name board.<\/p>\n
The protesters were almost involved in a clash with several
\nBetawi (native Jakarta) people who were allegedly hired by the
\nadministration to confront them.<\/p>\n
City Public Order Office chief Firman Hutajulu denied that his
\noffice had engineered a confrontation between the Betawi people
\nand the protesters.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of civilian police auxiliaries (Banpol) and police
\nofficers managed to calm down the protesters.<\/p>\n
Separately, Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso promised on Thursday to
\ncontinue public order raids against street traders and pedicab
\ndrivers.<\/p>\n
\"Pedicabs must disappear from Jakarta,\" Sutiyoso told the
\ncity's five mayors, and the heads of the city's 65 districts and
\n265 subdistricts at City Hall. (jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/thousands-protest-public-order-raids-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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