Safrin La Batu, Jakarta – Hundreds of members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) staged a rally in front of the National Police headquarters in South Jakarta on Monday to demand the dismissal of West Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Anton Charliyan.
The FPI accused Anton of taking sides in handling a clash involving FPI members and an organization called the Indonesian Grassroots Community Movement (GMBI) during a questioning of FPI leader Rizieq Shihab by West Java Police last week.
Following the clash, a GMBI office in Bogor, West Java, was attacked and set on fire by a group of people, allegedly FPI members. West Java Police initially arrested 20 FPI members for allegedly taking part in the attack, naming some of them suspects.
FPI chairman Munarman, after meeting police representatives during the rally, said the FPI had reported Anton to the police's Internal Affairs Division (Propam) for violating police ethics by siding with the GMBI.
"He is not professional in doing his job. He protected and sided with thugs," Munarman said, referring to members of GMBI. "Police representatives said they would process our reports," he added.
The rally participants dispersed after police received their representatives and promised to follow up the reports according to the law. (jun)