Thousands pack Bandung's streets

Thousands pack Bandung's streets

BANDUNG: The campaign season here concluded on a high note as
the West Java capital was swarmed by a sea of people in delirious
but trouble-free street rallies on Friday.

Many businesses closed shop for the whole day, after hearing
that nobody would go shopping. Some of them also said they
anticipated possible unrest.

Several groups of party supporters were seen pouring onto the
city's arteries in convoys shortly after Friday's prayers. The
number of campaign revelers increased gradually. A few hours
later the town was totally blanketed in multi-colored party
attributes.

Traffic congestion prevailed as many motorists joining the
rallies defied traffic signals. Police kept the situation from
deteriorating into total disorder.

There were no reports of accidents until late in the
afternoon.

While streets were crowded, only a few people attended indoor
rallies or election-related events. Many representatives of
parties invited to a debate organized by the Pikiran Rakyat daily
at its office on Jl. Soekarno-Hatta did not show up, blaming the
heavy traffic jams. (43)