Roadsweepers bear brunt of campaign

Roadsweepers bear brunt of campaign

SEMARANG: Local street sweepers, mostly elderly women, are
finding their yellow uniforms dangerous, especially when the
green-clad supporters of the United Development Party (PPP) rally
in the streets.

The workers are required to wear yellow so that drivers can
see them. The problem is that yellow is also the color of the
ruling Golkar, which has been running a controversial campaign to
paint all public property yellow.

Outraged PPP supporters have been venting their frustration on
the street sweepers. Sulasmi, 56, has scarred hands as proof of
their abuse. "They misidentified me as a Golkar supporter just
because of my uniform," she said.

"We are ordinary women, we don't know anything about politics.
I can't understand why they beat up old women like us," Sulasmi
said.

She and her colleagues have decided not to wear their uniforms
when PPP and Indonesian Democratic Party supporters take to the
streets.

In Jakarta, Australian J. Acnnachal fell victim to some PPP
supporters' brutality on their street rally on Thursday, Antara
reported. The mass beat the expatriate because he objected to
their plastering his car with party attributes. (har/swe)