Two student skirmishes disrupt city traffic

JAKARTA (JP): Dozens of senior high school students were involved in two separate street brawls respectively on Jl. Salemba Raya and an intersection on Jl. Pemuda in Central Jakarta yesterday, causing heavy traffic jams on nearby roads.

The students dispersed only after military personnel and traffic police officers, who happened to be patrolling the area, arrived on the scene. No fatalities were reported and none were arrested.

The brawl on Jl. Salemba involved students from SMA Nusantara and SMA St. Yoseph Senior, both in Central Jakarta.

Nobody knew how the incident started, but the students were seen flocking from Jl. Diponegoro, a witness said.

The two groups of students were later involved in a stone and brick war, he said. Some of them were forced to jump over the median wire fence just to avoid the flying stones and bricks.

Not many motorists dared to pass by the street when the brawl took place for fear of being hit by the many flying objects. Others who were unintentionally trapped in the brawl were forced to leave the area as quickly as possible, thereby causing a major traffic jam.

The situation eased only after two patrolling military personnel arrived on the scene.

Some people who stood along the roadside were seen helping one of the servicemen chase the students.

"They'll get a lesson only if they are caught by the servicemen or hit by passing cars," said Agung, a student of the University of Indonesia.

"They're all irresponsible people because their acts also put other people at risk," he said.

The other after-school brawl took place at the intersection of Jl. Pemuda, Jl. Pramuka, Jl. Ahmad Yani and Jl. Rawamangun.

Dozens of students were seen getting off of a Mayasari Bakti bus plying the Kampung Rambutan-Tanjung Priuk route.

They immediately became entangled in a brawl with some students who were sitting on a nearby roadside, apparently waiting for them, Suaeb, a witness said.

Suaeb said he was forced to hide between two trucks to avoid being hit by the flying stones.

The brawl was stopped by Kebon Nanas Police officers. (04)