Jakarta, IO – Protesters from various elements of society held a demonstration to reject the amendment of Regional Elections Law (UU Pilkada) outside the parliamentary complex, Jakarta (22/8).
Dubbed the “Indonesia Emergency Movement”, it was participated in by thousands of people from different sectors of the society, predominantly students, activists, labour unions, academics, intellectuals, artists and the general public from Jakarta and other regions. Holding up posters and banners, they urged the House of Representatives (DPR) to abide by the Constitutional Court’s (MK) on regional head nomination requirements.
In the afternoon, the crowds managed to breach part of a fence near one of the gates but they were repelled by the joint security personnel. The situation turned chaotic as the protesters burnt tires and banner on the street outside and pelting bottles and stones toward the security personnel. To calm the crowd, the police erected barricades and fired tear gas. At around 8.30pm WIB, the demonstrators began to disperse and leave the area after the police pushed them back by deploying water cannon and ant-riot squad.
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The demonstrations were in response of the House Legislation Body’s (Baleg) maneuver to reverse the MK ruling by rushing through the revision of UU Pilkada to be passed in a plenary session scheduled on Thursday. However, it was scrapped as the meeting did not meet the quorum. Only 89 members of parliament attended the plenary session scheduled in the morning. (IO/Septo Kun Wijaya)