Adrial Akbar, Jakarta – Protesters opposing tomorrow's planned enactment of the Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) have arrived in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Jakarta. They brought with them posters containing their demands and yellow flags symbolising death.
By 1.18 on Monday December 5, the demonstration against the RKUHP had been joined by a number of different groups including the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH), Greenpeace, the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), the Legal Aid Institute for the Press (LBH Pers), students, workers, environmental activists and women's groups.
"This action will be joined by various civil society groups, and we don't yet know just how many will come because protesters are still arriving", said LBH Jakarta public defender Citra Refarandum in front of the DPR building in Senayan, Central Jakarta on Monday.
Several of the demonstrators put up a huge poster on the DPR's gates, while others scattered flowers in front of the DPR building as a symbolic protest. Wreaths of flowers could also be seen placed in front of the building.
"To share in sorrow over the revival of the colonial articles in the RKUHP", read one of the wreaths.
"Opposing the problematic RKUHP", read one of the banners hanging from the DPR's front gate.
A number of police officers meanwhile watched over the demonstration. Traffic on Jalan Gatot Subroto came to a standstill with many drivers slowing down in order to look at the protest action.
Earlier, police mobilised some 400 personal who were placed on alert in front of the DPR building.
"Meanwhile four SSK [company level units, 400 personnel] were placed on alert there. This is just from the police", said Central Jakarta Metro Jaya district police chief Senior Commissioner Komarudin when sought for confirmation.
Komarudin said that the protesters at today's demonstration are from the Jakarta LBH. In relation to the issue being articulated, he said that it was about opposition to the RKUHP. "Based on the flyers, they're from LBH Jakarta. Perhaps from the flyers, (it's a demonstration opposing) the RKUHP", he said.
In relation to the redirection of traffic, Komarudin said that it was situational and traffic would be rerouted if necessary. "For the meantime it's situational", said Komarudin.
He added that security in front of the DPR would be the same as for ordinary protest actions and hoped that the demonstration today would proceed smoothly.
"Security or services and guarding the progress of the action conveying an opinion in public will be like security for other actions. The hope of course is that the action will proceed securely, orderly and smoothly", he said. (idn/idn)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Massa Demo Tolak RKUHP Tiba di DPR, Bawa Bendera Kuning-Tabur Bunga".]
