Chaidir Anwar Tanjung, Pekanbaru – A protest action by hundreds of students and workers in Pekanbaru, Riau, to commemorate the first 100 days of the Yudhoyono administration ended in a class, with four students arrested.

Initially, the protest action proceeded peacefully, but began to heat up when students demanded to be given a chance to read out their demands on the grounds of Bank Indonesia. A scuffle then broke out with police guarding the front gate as the students tried to force their way in calling for Yudhoyono and Boediono to step down.

When police began hitting students with rattan sticks, they became enraged and a clash was unavoidable, with students and police exchanging punches and chasing each other to and fro. The large contingent of police however was finally able to force students in to corner and several were beaten by officers.

Police also tried using tear gas but this failed to reach the students already inside the Bank Indonesia grounds. Eventually reinforcements were called in and they forced the students to retreat, four of which were arrested. (cha/djo)

[Abridged translation by James Balowski.]