Students march for special session

PADANG, West Sumatra: Thousands of students marched to the provincial legislative building on Tuesday calling for an expedited special session of the People's Consultative Assembly to impeach President Abdurrahman Wahid.

The protest -- jointly held by members of Student Solidarity for the People and students from Padang State University and IAIN Imam Bonjol Padang -- caused traffic to back up in the area.

The students forced their way into the governor's office despite being told by the chief of the provincial legislature's general affairs bureau, Yusman Kasim, that Governor Zainal Bakar was in the North Sumatra capital Medan.

The protesters then tore down a portrait of President Abdurrahman Wahid that was hanging near the governor's office.

"We also demand the amount of money allotted for education in the provincial budget be increased to 20 percent from 7.2 percent," one of the protesters, Effendi, said.

The protesters eventually dispersed peacefully. (28/edt)