Ahmad Fikrij, Bandung – On Tuesday May 4, hundreds of students blockaded the intersection of Jalan Wastu Kencana and Jalan Taman Sari in Bandung, West Java. The demonstration was organised as a solidarity action over the violence against Indonesian Muslim University (UMI) students in Makassar, South Sulawesi, [when police stormed their campus on May 1.]

The students, who totaled as many as 200 people, had formed a cordon around the intersection since 11.30am. After some 30 minutes, the action became heated when students began setting fire to tyres.

As a result of the demonstration, Jalan Wastu Kencana, which is one of Bandung’s major thoroughfares was totally grid locked. Not a single vehicle, even motorcycles, were able to get by with the traffic jam spreading as far as Jalan Pasteur some 7 kilometers from Jalan Wastu Kencana.

During the action, the students who came from the group Solidarity Against Militarism (Solidaritas Anti Militerisme), condemned the police violence against UMI students. The students also demanded that police release UMI students who are still being detained.

Prior to this at around 9am, students had already blockaded Jalan Taman Sari in front of the Bandung Islamic University campus where they also set fire to tyres. This did not however create a traffic jam because it is only a minor thoroughfares. (iy)

[Translated by James Balowski.]