City Council removes protesting squatters

City Council removes protesting squatters

JAKARTA (JP): Some 60 protesters, who had stayed in the City
Council compound on Jl.Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta since Monday,
have been finally removed by authorities to the city-owned Kedoya
rehabilitation center in West Jakarta.

No clashes were reported during Friday's expulsion which was
carried out by dozens of officials from the Central Jakarta
mayoralty administration office and police personnel.

"It's just a public order operation to check these people's ID
cards. We found that most of them have no Jakarta identification
card (KTP)," said a police officer at the scene.

At least 47 of them, he added, held ID cards issued by the
Brebes administration office in Central Java.

The people stayed at the council building to protest the
action of the authorities, who they claimed forcibly removed them
from their shanties at several locations, such as Pondok Kopi,
Kebon Sawah, Cipinang Cempedak and Kebon Jagung.

During the one-hour operation that started at about 10:30 p.m.
Friday, the officials also seized tents, utensils and banners
from the protesters.

Upon their arrival at the Kedoya rehabilitation center, which
is officially used to temporarily detain public order violators,
the people were later picked up by executives from the Urban Poor
Consortium (UPC), who coordinated the activities of the
demonstrators. (07)