Zara Amelia and Adam Prireza, Jakarta – Six people were injured with several windows damaged following a violent riot that attacked the Home Affairs Ministry Headquarters on Wednesday, October 11. Instigators of the riot were a group of people from Papua that originally planned to stage a protest.
The group of Papuans joined in a group dubbed "Spontanitas Masyarakat Kabupaten Yapen, Intan Jaya, dan Tolikara Provinsi Papua" was initially there to protest against the results of the 2017 Papua Regional Head election in Tolikara, which elected Usman Wanimbo and Dinus Wanimbo as Regent and Deputy Regent.
The protesters demanded the Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo and Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Wiranto to revoke the inaugural letter of the future 2017-2022 Regent and Deputy Regent of Yapen Islands that elected Tony Tesar and Frans Sanadi.
The protesters also voiced their support for President Joko Widodo or Jokowi, Minister Tjahjo, and Minister Wiranto, in establishing an investigative team to solve problems of violations at the regional head election from 2010-2015 and 2017-2022.
The riot sparked after the group of people felt that they waited too long to let their delegates meet with Home Affairs Ministry Officials. Around 15:00 PM, demonstrators started to act violent and forced their way into the Ministry office and started the string of vandalism and attacks on the Ministry's employees.