Farouk Arnaz – The arrest of 64 punks in Banda Aceh for the alleged crime of being "punk" spurred a group of punks under the name of Solidarity for Aceh Punks United to rally in front of the National Police headquarters in Jakarta on Monday.

They carried several banners saying "Uphold Punk Sharia" and "Jakarta Solidarity for Aceh Punk." The protesters met with the National Police chief to discuss the arrests that took place on Dec. 10 in Banda Aceh.

"We want them to be freed, we want their names to be rehabilitated," one of the punks from the band Cryptical, who wished to remain anonymous, said after meeting with police.

"The police argued that the event was not staged according to the details in the permit request and this is not true. This was a free event. Punk is a culture. We really hope to meet the Banda Aceh mayor on this case."

Authorities in Banda Aceh broke up a punk rock concert, claiming that the organizer falsified information in their request for a permit from Aceh's Consultative Assembly of Ulema (MPU) stating that the concert was a charity event whose proceeds would go to orphanages.

Deputy mayor of Banda Aceh Illiza Sa'aduddin Djamal called the punk community a "social disease" and said punks deviate from Islamic teachings.

"I don't want this to happen again in Aceh," the punk said, adding that the meeting with the police chief was not satisfying. "Punks are members of society."