Violence mars Kantata Takwa concert<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A free concert to highlight social issues was marred when unruly
\nsections of the estimated 100,000-strong crowd begun rioting in
\nCentral Jakarta on Saturday night.<\/p>\n
Police were forced to fire warning shots and a number of
\nwarung (sidewalk stalls) near the Jakarta Hilton were burned in
\nthe violence. The concert was halted 90 minutes before its
\nscheduled end at midnight.<\/p>\n
However, despite the violence the concert resumed and was
\nexpected to finish on time at midnight.<\/p>\n
Earlier, the Senayan east parking lot in Central Jakarta had
\nturned into a sea of people eager to watch the Kantata Takwa
\nconcert featuring well-known singer Iwan Fals, artist Setiawan
\nDjody, poet W.S. Rendra and musicians Sawung Jabo and Jockie
\nSuryoprayogo.<\/p>\n
Fans from across the city and Greater Jakarta began pouring in
\nas early as 4 p.m., three hours before the free concert started.
\nThey came by foot, and in cars, buses and trucks. Many came
\ncarrying the national flag as well as the flags of their
\npolitical party of choice.<\/p>\n
Security was extra tight, with Jakarta Police deploying three
\nwater canons and hundreds of officers to safeguard the concert.<\/p>\n
According to police estimates, around 100,000 people turned up
\nat the concert, the first since 1998, which then drew around
\n30,000 fans.<\/p>\n
Taking the title Pagelaran Kantata Takwa, Kesaksian 2003
\n(Kantata Takwa Concert, Testimony 2003), the music group hoped to
\nreflect the prevailing conditions faced by Indonesians. Social
\nconcerns are the group's trademark, as reflected in their theme
\nsongs, including Testimony, a poem by W.S. Rendra.<\/p>\n
The violence started when some fans threw empty bottles at a
\ngroup of spectators, prompting others to join in. Many of the
\nstalls near the Hilton Hotel were also destroyed and burned by
\nthe spectators.<\/p>\n
Iwan Fals and Sawung Jabo tried to calm their fans, who
\nresponded by singing the national hymn, 17 Agustus (August 17),
\nin unison. The concert turned into an expression of nationalism.<\/p>\n
The incident forced many of the spectators to leave around
\n21:30 p.m, causing a massive traffic jam on nearby streets.<\/p>",
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