Just gathered, immediately rejected

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia –

Mass 1812 who are members of the National Anti-Communist Alliance (Anak NKRI) did not hold demonstrations demanding the release of Pentolan REIT Rizieq Shihab and investigating the shooting of six members of the FPI paramilitary army, Friday (12/18).

The action, which was supposed to take place in front of the Presidential Palace, was immediately broken up by the police as the crowd began to gather.

Initially, at 1:15 p.m. WIB, the crowd, dominated by white clothing, began to arrive. They stopped in front of the Arjuna Wiwaha horse statue in central Jakarta, which was guarded by the authorities.

The arrival of the masses was later greeted by an appeal from the Central Jakarta Police Chief, Kombes Pol Heru Novianto. Through a loudspeaker, Heru asked the crowd to disperse and not be part of the crowd.

“I remind you to come back soon. We will act decisively to disperse the crowd. The pandemic in Jakarta is still high. Come back soon. I remind you that there are no crowds,” he said.

At that time, the masses chose to stay, sang salawat and sang Takbir. But before long, police and TNI agents on guard immediately moved forward to encourage the masses to retreat. Several people in the command car were asked to get out.

The jostling action between the security forces and the crowd took place around the horse statue for several minutes. One of the officers yelled “Just shoot one, shoot.”
At that time, it was observed that several people were immediately secured by the police.

Not long after pushing, the crowd finally withdrew and dispersed towards Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan, Jalan MH Thamrin, and Jalan Budi Kemerdekaan.

Photo: CNN Indonesia / Thohirin The 1812 mass prayed for the dissolution of the police in Jalan Abdul Muiz.

While repelling the crowd at Jalan MH Thamrin, Heru, through loudspeakers, called on the officers to arrest the opposing crowd.

“Catch those who fight. Transport. But don’t be beaten,” Heru said.

The authorities were immediately seen capturing several of the masses. Apart from that point, the authorities also arrested the masses that had dispersed through the streets around the Horse Statue while combing the crowd.

Police data show that at least 155 people were arrested in connection with the 1812 action. However, they were arrested in various places. They then underwent a rapid test and the results were up to 22 people reactive to Covid-19.

Not only the masses, the action command car and ambulance transport logistics were also secured by the police.

The 1812 Field Action Coordinator, Rijal Kobar, stated that his party did not know why the authorities dismissed the 1812 action since the masses began to gather.

He admitted that he had previously handled the notification of the action to Polda Metro Jaya.

“Regarding the dismissal, I do not know, but I have implemented the procedural permission. The procedural notice, if the action is a notice, now I don’t know if Covid is something different than usual,” he told reporters in the Tanah Abang area, in central Jakarta. (12/18).

Meanwhile, Kapolda Metro Jaya Inspector General Fadil Imran stressed that people’s safety is the highest law. He said this in connection with the dissolution.

“The adage (proverb) of the safety of the people is the supreme law or Salus Populi Suprema Lex. This should be the main guideline or even the basic principle of all the components of the Indonesian nation in daily life,” Fadil told journalists, on Friday (12/18).

(yoa / evn)