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)