Made Arya Kencana, Denpasar – Several elementary school students in Denpasar were left suffering the pain and trauma of a tear gas attack on Monday after getting caught up in an eviction attempt by police against squatters.
The incident occurred when police, attempting to carry out a court order to evict the family of one Nyoman Handris from a convenience store next to Denpasar State Elementary School (SDN) No. 01, fired tear gas on an unruly mob gathered in support of Handris.
The gas spread to the school, where around 200 students were present at the time, causing panic among the children.
Ni Nyoman Denun, the school principal, said only the students from the second, fifth and sixth grades were in class, with the others scheduled for afternoon classes that day. "It's a good thing the first grade students had gone home earlier," she added.
According to Denun, police had earlier in the day advised that all classes be dismissed, but did not order an immediate evacuation of the premises. School officials allowed students to witness the clash. "Many of the students have also suffered from trauma," Denun said.
Denpasar Police deployed about 175 officers to oversee the eviction process. Early in the day, Handris's supporters formed a barricade outside the convenience store while the proprietor installed plywood and iron sheeting around the site. He also put up a sign stating his refusal to be evicted.
The riot broke out when police officers moved to pull down the sheeting. Handris's supporters responded by throwing stones at the officers, who in turn fired tear gas on the mob.
"If you want to create chaos, don't do it in our village," a local resident, who declined to be named, said, directing his anger at the shop owner. "If you're man enough, face the eviction. Don't bring people here. That's your problem, don't involve our village."
One parent condemned the police for not evacuating the children before attempting the eviction. "Our children were compromised. Now they have suffered from trauma. Who's supposed to take responsibility for this?" the parent said.
Adj. Sr. Comr. I Gusti Kade Budi Harrarsana, the deputy chief of the Denpasar Police, said his officers had complied with standard operating procedure.
"Since the beginning we had asked the mob to leave the premises, but instead they resisted and threw stones. That's why we launched the tear gas," he said. Students were dismissed for the day following the incident.
Tear gas invokes rapid and debilitating effects by causing extreme eye irritation and eyelid spasms. A burning sensation is very common. The nose, throat, skin and respiratory tract are all subject to irritation and inflammation.