Protesters smash up coordinator's car
Protesters smash up coordinator's car
JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of people protesting the fuel hike at
the House of Representatives ran amok on Tuesday and damaged a
car they said belonged to someone who hired them for the rally.
The some 500 "protesters", who claimed not to fully understand
what they were protesting about, said they were upset after the
rally coordinator failed to pay them the promised Rp 30,000 (US$
3.50) each.
The people, including housewives with babies and children in
tow, arrived at the People Consultative Assembly/House of
Representatives (MPR/DPR) compound at about 7:30 a.m. to protest
the rise in fuel prices.
At 1:45 p.m., they smashed a Toyota Kijang van belonging to
the rally's coordinator, identified by the people and police as
Heri Siregar, using wooden sticks and car tools, such as a lug
wrench, found in the unlocked vehicle.
Those with empty hands managed to remove all the doors of the
vehicle.
The mob then attempted to set the car ablaze but failed. A few
minutes later several police officers arrived at the scene and
secured the van.
Several demonstrators told The Jakarta Post that Heri promised
to pay them shortly after their arrival at the MPR/DPR compound.
"He left two hours ago, saying he would come back with the
money. But he hasn't reappeared," Ati, 35, said.
"We are hungry and thirsty, and have no money to buy food and
drink," Ati said while appearing to be holder her temper in
check. "Luckily, a police officer gave my little daughter
something to eat."
Other groups were also protesting at the compound, demanding
that the government cancel the 12 percent increase in fuel
prices, which became effective on Sunday.
However, other rallies went on without incident.
The 500 protesters who smashed the van said they had no idea
who they were representing.
Heri was nowhere to be found.
A man named Diding claimed that Heri had rented the car from a
neighbor in Kalideres in West Jakarta for a man named Ooy. He
refused to elaborate.
Half an hour after the incident, one of Heri's men arrived and
doled out the promised money to the participants of the rally,
who then dispersed in stages.
According to the protesters, who mostly came from areas in the
capital including Dukuh Atas and Pasar Rumput in Central Jakarta,
Manggarai in South Jakarta, Jatinegara in East Jakarta, and
Bekasi, they participated in the rally simply for the money.
"It's better than sitting around doing nothing," a man from
Jatinegara said.
Ati, who looked much older than she claimed to be, said she
planned to use the money to pay her daughter's school tuition
which was two months overdue.
Another participant of the rally, Siti, said most of the
protesters were poor people who were picked up on the streets to
participate in the protest.
"I'm only a scavenger, Pak. I need the money," said Siti, who
hails from Bekasi.
Some of the demonstrators replied with clueless smiles when
asked if they were really at the compound to protest the fuel
hike.
Before the mob smashed the van, many of the protesters lounged
around the legislature building complex, saying they were thirsty
and hungry and needed to rest.
Some of the men stripped off to their underwear and swam in
the big fountain pool in the compound.
The capital has witnessed various protests, mostly against
government policy, former president Soeharto and the military, in
which the participants were paid by sponsors.
In Heri's case, for example, his real identity and his motive
behind financially supporting the rally with an estimated Rp 15
million remain a mystery.
Some of the participants said that Heri and his group
initially wanted 1,000 people to participate in the rally.
Last week, several participants of a pro-Soeharto rally near
his residence on Jl. Cendana in Central Jakarta claimed they were
paid Rp 20,000 each.
Some of them said they were unaware that they would be
supporting Soeharto until they got into the buses and saw the
banners. (jaw)