Detik.com
- February 18-19, 2009
Muhammad
Taufiqqurahman, Jakarta – Students demonstrating against US Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton on Thursday February 19 ‘forced’ police to help them trample on
US flags. The police were left smiling resentfully.
Initially,
around 25 students from the Indonesian Muslim Student Action Front (KAMMI)
wanted to march towards the State Place in Central Jakarta. The action however
met resistance from police who were on guard at the Indosat roundabout on Jl.
Medan Merdeka Barat.
A scuffle
broke out between the students and police when they tried to break through the
cordon, but after three attempts the students retreated six paces. As soon as
the students retreated, police moved towards them. As a result, the uniformed
boots of the police trampled on the US flags. “Huuuuu, at last we are getting
some help”, shouted the students happily.
Shouting
through a small megaphone, action coordinator Sugeng Wiyono said, “They’re our
friends as well, apparently the police are on our side. They’re helping out our
action. The evidence being the police have just helped us to trample on US
flags”, shouted Wiyono.
Upon hearing
this, the students clapped and applauded, while the contingent of police hurriedly
retreated and picked up the flags which were then handed back to the students.
The students then trampled on them again leaving police to recover the dirty
and muddy flags. (Detik.com, 19/2/2009)
Students
in Medan protest Clinton visit
Khairul Ikhwan,
Medan – Scores of students from the University of North Sumatra held a
demonstration near their campus on Thursday February 19 opposing Hillary
Clinton’s visit to Indonesia.
During the
action, the student held a theatrical action in protest against the Indonesian
government for failing to take a stand against US imperialism, including
pressure in the economic field. The students also set fire to pictures of
Clinton, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) and US President
Barack Obama.
In speeches,
the students said that Clinton’s visit to Indonesia was not just a state visit,
but had hidden agendas such as studying weaknesses in the Indonesian economy.
Action
coordinator Frans S. said the Indonesian government has failed to take a strong
stand against US imperialism. “The meeting between SBY and [Indonesian Foreign
Affairs Minister] Hasan Wirayuda with Hillary Clinton signifies that the
Indonesian government is still America’s errand boy”, said Frans. (Detik.com,
19/2/2009)
Anti-Clinton
protesters hold sit-in action near Palace
Anwar
Khumaini, Jakarta – Some 50 demonstrators protesting against the 2009 elections
and the visit to Indonesia by Hillary Clinton were involved in a scuffle with
police on February 18 during a sit-in that resulted in major traffic jams in
the vicinity of the National Monument in Central Jakarta.
The scuffle
broke out at around 4pm near the Constitutional Court when scores of students
from the National University arrived and formed up in ranks preparing to head off
for the State Palace.
The police
however held that the students were taking up too much of the road and began
pushing students on the outer edge in order to tighten up the crowd. They also
asked that a car belonging to the protesters carrying a sound system not be
taken on the rally to the Palace.
In response
to what the demonstrators saw as repressive actions by police, they responded
by trying to force the police back while hurling insults. They then held the
sit-in action. (Detik.com, 18/2/2009)
[Abridged
translation by James Balowski from three reports posted on the Detik.com news
portal. See also Students
pelt ‘Hillary’ with shoes, blame US for violence in Gaza.]
