Jakarta – Two protesting groups consisting of a camp supporting the impeachment of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and a camp opposing his impeachment held demonstrations in front of the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Tuesday March 5.
The protesters supporting the impeachment came from a group calling themselves the National Coalition of Democratic Saviours, while the opposing group called themselves the Love Indonesia Student and Social Solidarity.
The two demonstrations were held at the same time but at different gates, although the distance between the two camps was only around five metres.
The police also put up a blockade made from concrete and steel to separate the two groups. In the middle of the blockade anti-riot police could also be seen on alert.
At 12.43 part of the road in the direction of Jalan Gatot Subroto in the direction of Slipi was closed off, and only the special lane for Transjakarta busses was left open, which police allowed other vehicles to pass through.
The scores of demonstrators supporting President Widodo's impeachment and a right of inquiry into election fraud arrived at the location first at 9.15 am.
Several hours later at 12.15 pm, hundreds of demonstrations opposing Widodo's impeachment arrived at the location. The opposing camp arrived as the earlier group was holding mid-day congregational prayers.
Then at 12.23 hundreds of demonstrators from a number of different organisations who support Widodo's impeachment returned to the location.
"This country is not at okay at all, this country is in a crisis of democracy, because it has been sold to foreigners sisters and brothers", said one of the speakers. (mab, csr/kid)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Demo Pro-Kontra Pemakzulan Jokowi di Depan DPR, Sebagian Jalan Ditutup".]
