Police, street vendors clash in Sidoarjo

Police, street vendors clash in Sidoarjo

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

Police clashed on Tuesday with hundreds of street vendors
protesting in the East Java city of Sidoarjo against the local
administration's move to evict them from stalls in the Jl. Gajah
Mada area.

Police fired warning shots at least ten times to disperse the
protesters, who fled the scene in panic toward Jl. Raden Patah.

There were no reports of casualties.

The clash, which erupted at 9:30 a.m., was sparked by vendors
beating plainclothes security personnel who were attempting to
park their cars in the area.

The protest also involved local residents living in the nearby
Kauman area.

On Monday night, city public order officers had attempted to
forcibly remove the street vendors from the Jl. Gajah Mada area
because it was to be converted into a parking lot.

The protesters prevented vehicles from parking in the disputed
area on Tuesday morning, including those belonging to the
plainclothes officers.

"Because we were worried that the situation would become more
chaotic, I instructed my members to fire warning shots. Their
(the protesters') actions led to the violence," Sidoarjo Police
Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Budi Susilo was quoted by Antara as saying.

He said the police had arrested three people charged with
using violence during the protest. They had been detained and
would face questioning.