Jakarta clashes kill 6, injure over 200
Police fire tear gas to disperse protesters during a demonstration outside the Elections Oversight Body (Bawaslu) in Jakarta yesterday. Indonesian troops are on high alert amid fears of civil unrest in the capital following declaration of the presidential election results that handed Joko Widodo another term.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said yesterday that six people had died and over 200 injured after clashes broke out between police and demonstrators in the capital after midnight.
“As of 9am today, some 200 were injured and six killed,” the Jakarta governor said in Tarakan hospital in central Jakarta.
The clashes broke out over the presidential election, and near the election supervisory body (Bawaslu) building.
Police fired tear gas to disperse the protesters, most of them supporters of the defeated presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto. Some 20 protesters were arrested during the clashes.
Protesters burned down a police housing facility and several vehicles in KS Tubun Street in central Jakarta in the morning.
Jakarta Police spokesperson Argo Yuwono called on people to refrain from instantly trusting misinformation that circulated on the social media.
“What has been circulated in the social media give no benefit. You can cross check it with the police to find out whether the information is correct or not. People need to filter it first before using it as information,” Argo said.
Police said that the protesters were not residents of the city.
Five terrorist suspects have also been arrested in West Java regency of Garut on Tuesday. Police confiscated weapons from the suspects who rode a van to get to Jakarta.
Indonesian authorities have closed down train stations near the demonstration areas, and advising passengers to board trains from other stations.
Prabowo plans to file a lawsuit to the Constitutional Court regarding the election results and the counting done by General Elections Commission that puts incumbent President Joko Widodo as the winner of presidential election.
Widodo stressed yesterday that he would not tolerate anyone attempting to disrupt security and the ongoing process of democracy. He said that police and military will take stern action against rioters trying to create violence and anarchy.
Prabowo also urged supporters and security authorities to refrain from engaging in violence.
“Avoid physical assault, be polite and respect apparatus,” Prabowo said.
