Budi Sugiharto/Fitri & BI, Jakarta – A massive but peaceful rally staged factory workers had turned into a riot, when a group angry demonstrators started to destroy and loot a total of nine vehicles parked at the government's buildings, in Surabaya, East Java on Tuesday.
The riot started when thousands of workers from various factories in Sidoarjo, an industrial area 25-km north off Surabaya, staged a massive rally to demand a salary increase. This has been the third demonstration conducted by these factory workers. They have been expressing their opposition against governor's decree that set regional minimum wage for workers in Sidoarjo at Rp 328,000 per month. However the protestors are adamant to demand an equal salary enjoyed by fellow factory workers in Surabaya which have been getting a total of Rp 330,700 or a maximum of Rp 400,000.
At first, the rally had proceeded peacefully. The protestors managed to encircle East Java gubernatorial office 9am. Using motor bikes and trucks they arrived at the venue and held lively orations and speeches while waiting for the negotiations between their representative and governor's representative, Imam Supardi. Despite the colossal numbers of protestors' presence at the scene, there had been only a company of the police unit assigned to this area.
Around 11.30am without any specific reason, several demonstrators begun to run amok and destroyed three cars belonging to the gubernatorial staff. These cars – two vans and a sedan – were turned upside down by the demonstrators, while the outnumbered police stood by and watched the destruction begun.
The frenzy then started when factory workers who rallied at Regional Development and Planning Agency office, a short walk from gubernatorial office, followed the action. The protestors the begun to destroy anything and everything. In the end there were six cars destroyed in this area. Witnesses said that some of the demonstrators even looted the vehicle accessories.
Seeing the situation is getting way out of control, two companies of Police Mobile Brigade Units and a water canon unit were deployed to suppress the riots. The additional security apparatus gradually brought the situation in order. Some of the demonstrators were successfully persuaded to leave gubernatorial office back to Sidoarjo.
In the mean time, the police also managed to apprehend a man allegedly provoking the workers to commit this riot. This provocateur was arrested after he had been spotted to initiate a demolition of a sedan and looted the sedan's side mirrors. Another reason for the police to suspect him as the provocateur was that he failed to prove himself as a member of one of the rallied companies' workers.
By 12.30pm, the situation slowly returned to normal. Some demonstrators were still unwilling to move from the gubernatorial office whereas many of their compatriots had agreed to return home.