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Police go toe to toe with protesters outside Indonesia house

Source
Jakarta Globe - March 3, 2010

Farouk Arnaz, Putri Prameshwari & Ulma Haryanto – With the controversial Bank Century bailout inquiry serving as backdrop, police went head to head with demonstrators as a confrontation between law enforcers and angry protesters turned violent on Tuesday.

Delivering on their vow not to back down, police have summoned five protesters in Jakarta as of Tuesday night, including two who arrested after being accused of "insulting" officials. Police also took down several posters that criticized Vice President Boediono and summoned the driver of a vehicle used to pull a barbed wire fence.

After the first scuffle broke out during a rally in front of the House of Representatives, Laode Kamaludin and Muammar Navis from the Youth Coalition for Anticorruption (Kapak) were taken into custody for questioning.

One of them was wearing a shirt that depicted Boediono as a prisoner and later was carried away under heavy security in an armored police vehicle.

"We will question the two of them," said Chief Comr. Muhammad Iriawan, the National Police deputy director of security and transnational affairs.

"The two were arrested for insulting officials and are going to be charged with defamation under the Criminal Code," National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Edward Aritonang said.

Other protesters were held for attempting to incite people on the streets to attack the police, as a number of skirmishes broke out in front of the House.

Demonstrators from more than 20 organizations weren't easily fazed by the authorities. They put up posters with the message "Replace Boediono with Budi Anduk," referring to a popular comedian. Another poster called Boediono "a thief." Police later tore down all the placards.

Protesters also brought with them a goat with the message "Lawmakers shouldn't act like goats" written on its body, even though the Jakarta Police have outlawed the use of live animals during rallies.

Gery, a member of the Jakarta Law Students Movement, defended the use of the goat. "His name is Ruhut, just Ruhut, not Sitompul like the Democrat lawmaker," Gery said. "The message says, 'Lawmakers should not act like goats,' which merely bleat and do nothing else."

A man identified as Sanin, the driver of a Toyota Landcruiser used to pull away the barbed wire fence erected by police, has also been summoned. Eggi Sujana, a Muslim lawyer and the owner of the vehicle, may also be called up by police.

A police officer was injured after he was hit by a stone thrown by protesters, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar said. A local newspaper photographer was also hit by a rubber bullet below his eye and was immediately taken to the Jakarta Eye Center. Several protesters were hit by tear gas canisters as well.

Anti, a student from the Jakarta Islamic University, said she joined the rally because she wanted to see an immediate end to the Bank Century controversy. "I can't stand those politicians," she said. "They must finish this drama once and for all."

In other protests across the archipelago, authorities in East Kalimantan named five suspects for alleged rioting, while Semarang Police summoned two university student for insulting state symbols.

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