Police break up illegal rally, dozens injured

Police break up illegal rally, dozens injured

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Dozens of people were injured and 12 were arrested as some
1,500 people who staged an anti-U.S. rally in front of the House
of Representatives building clashed with police officers on
Monday.

The protesters were members of the Islamic Defenders' Front
(FPI), the Surakarta Youth Islamic Front (FPII), Laskar Jundullah
(God's Army) and Hisbullah Front (God's Party) from Jakarta,
Surakarta, Tangerang and Lampung.

They arrived in several cars and motorcycles in front of the
House building compound at about 10 a.m. Protesting the U.S.
attack against Afghanistan, and demanded the government to sever
diplomatic relations with the U.S.

The police, however, ordered them to disperse because Monday
was a national holiday.

Chief of City Police's VIP security division Sr. Comr. Aqil
said that Law 9/1999 on public gatherings, bans demonstrations on
national holidays.

The clash started after the police fired warning shots which
were ignored.

Hundreds of police officers then began to fire tear gas, water
and blanks at the demonstrators, whereupon they fled.

The officers proceeded to disperse the demonstrators, who ran
to the Slipi area, and pushed them back with clubs. A police
officer reportedly ran into some protesters with his motorcycle.

The police also struck several journalists, including two from
Metro TV and Indosiar television stations, as well as one from
Reuters, seizing their film and damaging their cameras.

A Reuters' car and six others belonging to the protesters as
well as five motorcycles were also damaged by the officers.

The situation calmed down as the demonstrators headed to the
FPI headquarters on Jl. Petamburan, Central Jakarta, at about
noon.

But FPI members then started to attack police and military
members. Two military members who happened to pass by the street
on their motorcycles, were beaten, but they managed to escape.

After that incident, some 500 police officers were then
deployed to the scene as the demonstrators continued to conduct
raids on all the vehicles passing their area.

Tension was heightened as police closed the road in front of
the headquarters and insisted that non-Jakarta FPI members, who
had arrived here on Saturday night, return home.

Some 50 military riot officers were also deployed to the scene
while discussions between police and the FPI was conducted.

The officers left at about 4 p.m. after FPI members agreed to
stop their attacks.

City Police chief Insp. Sofjan Jacoeb told reporters that
stern action was taken because the demonstrators had broken the
law.

"If they want to conduct a rally again, it's okay. But they
should not try to occupy the House building," he warned.

He apologized for the damages caused by the officers and
promised to compensate journalists for losses incurred in the
melee.

The head of FPI, Habib Rizieq Husein said he would sue the
police for breaking up the protest, claiming that he had a permit
to conduct a two-month non-stop demonstration.

Minister of Religious Affairs Said Aqil Al-Munawar visited the
FPI headquarters at about 5 p.m. to meet Rizieq and promised to
listen to their needs.