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Surabaya hit by demos rejecting military presidential candidates

Detik.com - May 6, 2004

Budi Hartadi, Surabaya – A wave of demonstrations hit the East Java city of Surabaya on Thursday May 6. Hundreds of activist from the Indonesian Muslim Students Union (PMII), the Surabaya Indonesian Nationalist Student Movement (GNNI), Echoes of Freedom (Gema Pembebasan) and the People’s Democratic Party (PRD) held joint actions in front of the State Grahadi Building on Jalan Gubernur Surya. Meanwhile, the Indonesian Islamic University (UMI) Concern Alliance held a demonstration at police headquarters on Jalan Ahmad Yani.

The demonstrators demands were the same as previous demonstrations, rejecting a presidential candidates from the military, calling on the Indonesian chief of police to take moral responsibility for the repressive actions by police against UMI students [in the South Sulawesi provincial capital of] Makassar [on May 1] and rejecting foreign intervention in Indonesian domestic issues.

Tensions were high throughout the demonstration. Although the action was blockaded by some 50 police who had been on alert since morning, at around 1.30pm hundreds of PRD activists were able to force their way into the Grahadi building.

Confronted by the blockade, activist tried to break though by pushing and shoving the gates which were guarded by police. Chaos almost broke out because a police officer became emotional over the behavior of a demonstrator. However in the end, the officer was pulled back and replaced with a security guard to guard the gate so that demonstrators could not enter the grounds of the East Java governors' office.

The action did not continue for long. After 30 minutes of speeches the PRD demonstrators left the location on foot. The flow of traffic became congested because demonstrators almost took up an entire lane of traffic.

Demonstrators also brought a number of posters with pictures of [presidential candidates former armed forces chief] Wiranto and [former coordinating minister for politics and security] Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono which had been adorned with fangs and horns and the writing “Look out, the military is awakening” and “Reject military intervention in politics”.(nrl)

[Translated by James Balowski.]