Demonstrations against fuel price hike held in front of the Central Palace, Jakarta

Several societal organizations held demonstrations against the fuel price hike implemented by the Yudhoyono administration, two of which were Front Perjuangan Rakyat(FPR) and Hizb-ut Tahrir Indonesia.

I originally planned to attend an open invitation to an event organised by "One Indonesia for All"alliance in the Grand Assembly of Monas at 1 PM today, when the Transjakarta bus I took went into a complete halt for around 20 minutes along the Bank Indonesia-Monas route due to a demonstration held by Front Perjuangan Rakyat. It was fortunate for me, as it turned out, that I did not attend that event at all because it was the particular peaceful demonstration that eventually went wrong.

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
A lot of passengers vented their anger for this scene
because the demonstrators made the bus halted merely 2 metres away from the bus stop!

After I alighted from the bus, I quickly raced my way to the front to take snapshots of the demonstration. Most of the time, Indonesians know how to express themselves in public freely in accordance with the existing rules and guidelines, and it was proven in both demonstrations I covered today. The two of them went along peacefully without any brawls whatsoever, because both parties –the FPR and HTI— had beforehand notified the police as to avoid any unnecessary conflicts.


Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
The FPR coordinator leading in front of the group

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Notice the Transjakarta bus on the centre left of the picture? That was the very same bus I rode earlier! Thank God I had alighted in the Monas Bus Stop!

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
The police drove along in front of the group

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Yes, the street was "clean" indeed.

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Another snapshot of the emptied street. Journalists –amateur and professionals alike— were seen taking their snaps of the demo here.

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
A man seen bearing the FPR banner

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
"BLT (Bantuan Langsung Tunai, or Direct Cash Transfer) is not a solution", says the banner on top right

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Close snapshot of the demonstrators in the Medan Merdeka Barat Street

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
This snapshot was taken when they voiced out their opinions in their halt (this unfortunately, roused anger from the cars behind as I experienced in my Transjakarta bus a moment earlier)

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Taken from the asphalts for an artistic effect. Please forgive my amateurishness in photography!


Of course, the police had to set up barricades according to their safety protocols. Barbed wires were assembled alongside the Medan Merdeka Utara Street in front of the Istana Negara (Presidential Palace). I had also videotaped the assembling of the barbed wires, but unfortunately my internet connection is a broadband one, hence I'm unable to upload any of my videos to Youtube!


Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Barbed wires set up in front of Istana Negara (Indonesia's own "White House")

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Barbed wire seen set up along the Medan Merdeka Utara Street


Another layer of "barricade" was set up in front of the barbed wires, which was none other than the policemen forming a 100 metre-long human line stretching from the Majapahit Street bordering the Medan Merdeka Barat Street and Medan Merdeka Utara Street.


Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Before the line was set up

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
On the left was Istana Negara (not seen in picture)

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
The police seen forming a line on the border between Medan Merdeka Barat and Medan Merdeka Utara Street

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
On the right hand side from the picture is the Monas, while on the left is Istana Negara (both not seen in picture)

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Another snap of the policemen's human line

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
The human line stretching all the way to the front of National Monument

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Ordered in a neat human line!

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Istana Negara seen in the background

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Another snapshot with Istana Negara

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Both layers of defence –the barbed wires and the police human line— are seen here

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
The human line took a break after an hour in their position

After being blocked by the policemen's human line, the FPR demonstrated in front of Monas, where they sang their anthem of bringing the incumbent President-Vice President pair of Yudhoyono-Kalla down.

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Monas seen in the background

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
A police officer looks on

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
The human line and the demonstrators. To the left is Medan Merdeka Utara Street

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Human line as seen from behind

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Both sides seen together

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Various banners of youth groups united under FPR seen here

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Monas in the background

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Monas in the background (2)

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Banners communicating the FPR's demands

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
The demonstrators, human line, and Istana Negara seen together in this picture

Another group of demonstrators, the Hizb-ut Tahrir Indonesia, presumably coming from the Gambir district, made their way to the Monas' front gate just beside the FPR group, though of course they carried a slightly different demand in tackling the fuel price hike problem, by reforming the Indonesian government into a sharia-based one.

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth

Here are a couple of trivial pictures I took during the demonstration:

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Scavengers reaping benefits in this demonstration

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
Ready to pick up the bags...

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
A Metro TV personnel

Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
A cameraman from the police force


Post a Comment

  © Blogger template Shush by Ourblogtemplates.com 2009

Back to TOP