Hundreds protest over play ban

Hundreds protest over play ban

SURAKARTA, Central Java: Hundreds of students and youths
marched to the City Legislative Council yesterday in protest
against the local government's last minute ban against a play
about workers.

The protesters gathered at a park north of the Kraton Solo
(sultan's palace). There was a brief moment of tension as they
were prevented from entering the Legislative Council Building by
security forces deployed around the area.

Failing to meet with members of the council, the protesters
staged a sit-in outside the council building and held a "free
forum" in which they criticized the government for the ban
against the performance by the Tangerang-based Indonesian Labor
Theater.

The group was to stage two sold-out performances at the
Palace's Arts Garden on Saturday and Sunday. Police issued the
ban less than 24 hours before the first scheduled performance.

Surakarta Police Chief Lt. Col. Hery Syafrudin yesterday
explained that the play did not have a permit to begin with.

He denied the accusations that police had banned the
performance. "We didn't even know that it was going to be
performed here. How could we have banned it?". (har/emb)