Jakarta – The rally in Jayapura, Papua on Thursday, August 29 left the provincial capital paralyzed. Reports said that the city is gripped by a tense atmosphere.

Shopping centers and offices were closed since 12:30 East Indonesia Time. Antara reported that the Jayapura Mall, the biggest shopping center in the city, is also closed.

In several locations, groups of people gathered and delivered their speeches. At the Irian Road in mid-town, a crowd of around 50 people held their protests while security forces were on standby.

Some schools send their students home since morning. Security forces from the police and the TNI army are seen guarding a number of areas. Menawile, demonstrators were reportedly coming in, on foot, from a number of areas including Sentani. They are currently in Waena.

The looked vacant and almost paralyzed as most public transportation companies opt not to operate. "We want to avoid things that we don't want," said Supri, a city-minibus driver.

Demonstrations have spread to almost all districts in Papua over the past two weeks. They rally to condemn the racism against Papuan students in Surabaya. Some of the demonstrators are demanding referendum for independence, separating Papua from Indonesia.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1241592/jayapura-paralyzed-as-rally-grips-papua