Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – A protest rally by hundreds of vendors who refuse to be evicted from the Sutomo Market in Medan, North Sumatra, descended into a riot on Monday.

Police arrested more than 20 people following the trouble. They were still being detained at the Medan City Police headquarters on Monday night.

A television journalist, identified as Yusrizal, was reported to have been injured in the riot after being mobbed by a group of vendors who also seized and damaged his camera.

Medan City Police operational division head Comr. Sugeng Riyadi said the arrested protestors included those who had incited the violence, as well as others who assaulted the journalist, blocked roads and vandalized a number of public facilities.

According to Sugeng, the protestors caused severe disruption especially for road users.

"They vandalized a number of traffic lights at intersections and blocked roads. This caused serious disruption to the public," Sugeng said at the riot scene on Jl. Sutomo.

The disruption was a continuation of the protest against the eviction of vendors on Jl. Sutomo over the past weeks.

The Medan municipality wishes to relocate the vendors from Jl. Sutomo to the Tuntungan wholesale market in Medan.

However, the planned relocation has been opposed by the vendors on the grounds that Tuntungan market is too far away and has few customers. "Let us remain here. Tuntungan market is deserted," said Boru Ginting, who claimed to have operated at the Sutomo Market for dozens of years.

Last month, the traders filed a lawsuit against the municipality's decision to relocate the traders from Sutomo Market to Tuntungan, a new market that reportedly cost Rp 59 billion (US$4.5 million) to build.

City-owned market operator PD Pasar Medan director Beny Sihotang said the administration would continue with its plan to relocate the traders to Tuntungan market, also known as Lau Cih market, despite the violent protest.

"The relocation process has been ongoing for three months. The government has allocated places i Lau Cih market for the traders. Just follow the program, what's the need for fighting?" Benny told reporters.

Benny argued that few buyers went to the new market because they still visited the old market where the traders continued to operate. "If the traders move to the new market, the customers will follow them," he said.

The protest was the second conducted by the traders. Earlier this month, hundreds of the traders at the traditional market staged a rally, rejecting the municipality's decision to relocate the market.

The traders blocked the crossroads of Jl. Sutomo-Jl. HM Yamin and Jl. Sutomo-Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan and burned tires, causing heavy congestion in the areas for hours.

After blocking the roads, the traders marched to the Medan Administrative Court and filed their lawsuit against the municipality's plan.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/28/medan-market-trader-rally-ends-riot.html