Jakarta – A traditional wedding ceremony in Surakarta, Central Java came to a violent end after alleged members of a local religious group reportedly disbanded it, leading to a scuffle involving several local police personnel.
The group of people who broke up the ceremony, which took place at a private residence in Pasar Kliwon district on Saturday, purportedly claimed that the traditional procession had violated certain Islamic principles.
As reported by tribunnews.com, the perpetrators arrived at the ceremony at 4 p.m. and proceeded to cordon off the entrance to the residential area.
In a video that has since circulated on social media, members of the group could be heard shouting orders to disband the ceremony.
Surakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Andy Rifai said his office received reports of a disturbance at around 5 p.m on Saturday.
"We received information that evening that an intolerant group had ambushed a private residence," Andy said on Sunday.
He said the situation became heated when police personnel were deployed to the scene at around 5:20 p.m. to negotiate with the group.
The police escorted the wedding guests to safety during a lull when members of the group were performing maghrib (sunset prayer). However, the group finally noticed the evacuation and responded by physically attacking the guests, he said.
At least three people were injured during the conflict, he said. The victims have since been treated at Indriati Solo Baru Hospital in Sukoharjo regency. "[The victims] sustained lacerations on their heads," Andy said.
He went on to say that he was also physically assaulted by the group, but did not sustain any serious injuries. "I was hit by [members of the group] when I was evacuating the victims. But I persisted and continued protecting the victims," he said.
In addition to physical assault, the group also reportedly vandalized private property in the surrounding vicinity including a minivan. The police are currently still investigating the case. (rfa)