Kompas - May 22, 2008
Jakarta — Waves of protesters commemorating 10
years of reformasi took to the streets on Wednesday
May 21. At least 6,000 people from a number of mass
and student organisations gathered at the State
Palace and the House of Representatives (DPR)
between 11am and 6pm. The protesters presented seven
people’s demands to the government.
The flow of protesters heading towards the State
Palace on Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara in Central Jakarta
began at 11am when around 1,000 members of the
Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) arrived in a convoy
of motorbikes encircling the National Monument and
the Medan Merdeka area.
Next, a wave of students arrived under the flag of
the All Indonesia Student Executive Alliance
(Aliansi BEM Se-Indonesia) numbering as many a 1,000
people along with the National Liberation Front
(FPN), City Forum (Forkot), the Student Action Front
for Reform and Democracy (Famred) 98, the Volunteers
for Democratic Struggle (Repdem) and a number of
other groups. Numbering around 6,000 people they
fill two lanes along the length of Jl. Medan Merdeka
Barat. It was during this action that Aliansi BEM
presented the people’s seven demands.
Large numbers of security personnel meanwhile were
placed on a state of alert. "The Metro Jaya regional
police have deployed 1,200 personnel", said Metro
Jaya Operational Bureau Chief Senior Commissioner
Budi Winarso.
A brocade of police wearing anti-riot gear blockaded
the roads in front of the State Palace and the DPR
building. Hundreds of traffic police were also on
alert at intersections on the approach to the two
protest locations.
Traffic jams occurred in the areas of Jl. Salemba,
Gambir, Harmoni through to Gajah Mada and Hayam
Wuruk, Abdul Muis, Kebun Sirih and Sudirman-Thamrin.
Traffic was also brought to a standstill when the
two groups switched between the State Palace and the
DPR.
The flow of traffic was also disrupted because one
of the lanes on Jl. Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta
was occupied by students. The action, which started
at 9.30am, only broke up at 5.10pm, blocking traffic
for some eight hours. (CAL/WIN/NEL)
[Slightly abridged translation by James Balowski.]