Calm returns to Soekarno-Hatta toll road

TANGERANG (JP): An uneasy calm returned to the toll road leading to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Sunday, after an overnight incident in which thousands of locals staged a protest along the road.

The protesters were demanding that they be allowed to work at the airport as car washers and parking attendants.

Security guards were seen along the toll road on Sunday to avoid further incidents.

The airport management has cracked down in the past several months on informal workers operating at the airport. Many of the workers come from the area surrounding the airport.

Locals, however, have protested the crackdown, saying their livelihood depends on their work at the airport.

"We just want (the airport management) to allow us to work here in the airport compound as parking attendants or car washers. We don't harm anyone ... why do we have to go away," said 30-year-old Marmin, who washes cars in the airport parking lot.

"We need to put food on the table," he said.

On Saturday afternoon, locals went on a rampage reportedly after the airport management refused to reverse its decision to ban the informal workers from the airport.

The protest turned violent as crowds began to pelt stones at police officers securing the airport.

Three companies from the National Police's Mobile Brigade and Perintis (antiriot) police were deployed to disperse the mob, causing the toll gate to temporarily close on Saturday.

The crowd burned tires before police officers were able to calm the situation.

"We don't want any more brutality and violence here ... so please end this action," Tangerang Police chief Lt. Col. Pudji Hartanto told the protesters at the scene of the incident on Saturday.

"Please do not make the situation worse. It will make all of us suffer even more," he said.

The protesters eventually met with Pudji and the chief of Angkasa Pura II airport management, Arifin Razak, at the Benda Police station on Saturday.

The two-hour meeting resulted in an agreement that 200 locals would be allowed to work in the airport as parking attendants, with 100 people work in the morning and another 100 people working in the afternoon.

"We cannot grant the other demands because it will disturb the people using the airport," Arifin said, adding that illegal car washers and porters would not be allowed in the airport.

Locals living near the airport have been employed on an informal basis at the airport for years.

Their presence, however, creates problems for the people using the airport, as some of these workers are alleged members of gangs who collect fees from parking and other services at the airport.

Reports of extortion and thievery at the airport surface from time to time.

"We are trying to lift the performance of the airport and we have no choice but to start cracking down on illegal activities that can lead to bigger problems," Arifin said. (41/edt)