FPI vandalism and terror strike Depok
JAKARTA (JP): Armed with long wooden sticks and attired in their green and white outfits, dozens of members of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) perpetrated more acts of vandalism on Sunday by attacking several restaurants, cafes and small street kiosks, which they labeled immoral places.
This time the attack was carried out by FPI members in Depok who raided the sites located along Jl. Dewi Sartika, Jl. Sawangan and Jl. Margonda.
No police officers were to be seen during the attack, which started at 11 a.m.
Most of the places were totally destroyed. The mob, for example, smashed tables outside the cafes and damaged audio equipment.
The FPI members also raided several kiosks in the area looking for alcoholic drinks. When found, the attackers broke the bottles and warned the owners not to sell such drinks again during the fasting month unless they wanted to see their kiosks burn.
"We will be back and will burn these places if they continue to operate during Ramadhan. We will not let anyone violate the sacredness of Ramadhan," the Depok group's leader Idrus Hassan said.
Depok police could not be reached to comment on the attack.
Last week, some 150 members of the FPI armed with daggers, sickles, swords, and sticks, attacked and vandalized a billiard center in South Jakarta.
Separately, FPI leader Jafar Sidiq said here on Sunday that the action in Depok was necessary as the local administration had refused to follow the "rules of Ramadhan".
"The authorities of (neighboring) Jakarta, Tangerang and Bekasi have all issued decrees closing such cafes and certain restaurants one day before and on the first day of Ramadhan.
The Depok administration refused to issue such a regulation," Jafar told The Jakarta Post.
"How dare the operators of the cafes open their business on the day before Ramadhan? The city does not seem to respect Islam. We support 100 percent the acts of the FPI in Depok," he added.
Jafar again warned cafe owners in Greater Jakarta to be very careful about what they do during Ramadhan, the holy month for the Muslims.
"All nightspots will be burned down that dare to operate in Ramadhan.
We have posted FPI stickers all around town to remind people of this," Jafar said. (dja/ylt)