Protest Action to Cancel Fuel Price Rise Clashes

(Jakarta, elemende-online: 24/06/2008) While the parliamentary session filled with debates about the use of “inquiry right” into government's recent fuel price hike measure, outside the House of Representatives, thousands of people from several groups, including FRM (People Accuse Front), staged mass protest action.

Hundreds of protesters under FRM started the action at noon. They burnt used tires outside of the main entrance gates of the parliament compound. FRM demanded the government to immediately cancel fuel price rise and investigate the death of Maftuh Fauzi.

Maftuh Fauzi , was arrested on May 23 during a fuel price hike protest. He passed away on June 23, with bruises on his head. The Indonesian Doctor Association is currently investigating the cause of his death.

Police used water-cannon against protesters and they responded by throwing rock to the police.

On 02.00 pm. Thousands of protesters from Cross Generation Activist Gathering (Tali Geni) arrived in front of the Legislative House and joined with FRM masses.

The tension grew as Police repeatedly sprayed water canon to the masses. Masses from FRM and Tali Geni pushed the gate and managed to bring down the side gate. As crowd of students and people tried to enter the House of Representatives compound, clash with the Police became unavoidable. Many protesters got beaten and wounded on their head, arms, and shoulder.

The traffic was totally jammed along the capital main street, Gatot Subroto Street, as the clash happened. An activist from IAIN campus in Jambi, Arpi, was hit by a patrol car. Police chased and caught several student protesters. They attacked masses of students that was retreating to two directions. One group moved to Slipi-Grogol, West Jakarta, while another to Sudirman, Central Jakarta. The latter tried to blockade the main road in front of Atmajaya University.

At the time of writing, 10 activists were arrested in front of Atmajaya campus, three activists in front of the House of Representatives, ten were injured, and one was hit by a patrol car.

Labels: News, Students