Evicted people stage protest

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

At least 500 people who were evicted from slums along the West Flood Canal in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, joined a peaceful rally on Wednesday to protest the forced evictions.

The protest started at 11 a.m. in front of the State Palace, with speeches being delivered demanding the President use her authority to stop the evictions. The rally continued at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, where the protesters sat on the ground under the spray of the fountain before continuing their protest at the House of Representatives.

Many of the protesters were women and children who came to the location in five Metromini buses.

The victims were assisted by the non-governmental organizations grouped in the Anti-eviction Network.

They demanded that the issue of forced evictions be addressed nationally and urged the government and the legislators to seek solutions to their problems by relocating the victims and providing them with proper places to live.

On Monday, the city administration evicted at least 2,000 people from the slums along the West Flood Canal. Yet, they refused to leave and even rebuilt temporary sanctuary from the debris of their houses.

Emon, one of the victims, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday that they would remain living on the location despite the threat of another eviction.