Police Distribute Food and Drinks to Protesters at DPR

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Polda Metro Jaya and the Central Jakarta Police provided a humanistic service by distributing snacks and drinks to a group of protesters from the National Coalition for Agrarian Reform (DPN KNARA) staging a demonstration in front of the DPR/MPR Building, Jakarta, on Monday. “This step was taken as a form of the National Police’s concern for the public expressing their opinions in public,” said Central Jakarta Police Chief Kombes Pol Reynold EP Hutagalung in Jakarta on Monday. He said the distribution of snacks and drinks was part of an effort to keep the atmosphere of the demonstration calm. Officers also managed the area to ensure the expression of opinions did not disrupt the activities of other members of the public. “Personnel in the field are directed to act humanely, professionally, and not be easily provoked. We invite all rally participants to maintain order together,” Reynold said. He mentioned that the group arrived at the location around 10:48 a.m. Western Indonesia Time, with a total of about 350 people. They brought a command vehicle, a pickup truck, banners, posters, element flags, and various other props. He also stressed that expressing aspirations is a citizen’s right guaranteed by law. “The National Police is present to serve and secure the public who are expressing their opinions. We also prioritise a humanistic approach so that the activity proceeds in an orderly, peaceful, and conducive manner,” Reynold stated. Meanwhile, the group’s demands were known to be related to agrarian reform issues. They called for the government to revoke and block land permits deemed problematic, to release community plantations, settlements, hamlets, and villages from forest areas, and to resolve agrarian conflicts in Indonesia. During the rally, the group also voiced their aspirations through banners and posters. Some of these related to the implementation of the Basic Agrarian Law (UUPA) Number 5 of 1960, the enforcement of Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution, the resolution of agrarian conflicts, an end to the criminalisation of farmers, and land redistribution for the people. The group took turns giving speeches in front of the DPR/MPR Building, and the situation at the location was monitored as safe, orderly, and conducive.