"I, police chief General Tito Karnavian, call upon all police personnel to stop firing teargas," General Gatot Nurmantyo ordered.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Military Commander General Gatot Nurmantyo and Police Chief General Tito Karnavian appealed to the demonstrators to calm down after security forces clashed with demonstrators.

They made appeals through a public address system on Friday evening.

Security forces clashed with demonstrators who continued at the site of the protest beyond the 6pm deadline even though the government had reached an understanding with protesters representatives on the issue.

"Calm down and so should the policemen. Let us keep the situation peaceful. The police chief will issue an order," General Gatot Nurmantyo announced.

"I, police chief General Tito Karnavian, call upon all police personnel to stop firing teargas," he ordered.

Security forces started firing teargas shells towards hundreds of demonstrators who were still in front of the Merdeka Palace and Merdeka Barat at 7.35pm.

It was not immediately known what prompted the security forces to take such action. Earlier, a security personnel was seen restraining a man suspected to be a provocateur, ANTARA learned.

The security forces also fired water cannons towards demonstrators in the street in front of the State Palace in their efforts to disperse them, after they defied and threw bottles and pieces of wood towards the police.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla received some representatives of the demonstrators and reached an agreement with them.

"We have talked with representatives of demonstrators and agreed that the investigation into allegations against Ahok would be carried out strictly and expeditiously," he assured.

He added that the process would be completed within two weeks.

The representatives of the demonstrators who were received by Vice President Jusuf Kalla included KH Bachtiar Nashir (Arrahman Quranic Learning), Ustad Zaitun Rasmin (Wahdah Islamiyah), and Ustadz Misbah (Islam Defenders Front).

Kalla was flanked by presidential chief staff Teten Masduki, cabinet secretary Pramono Anung, presidential spokesman Johan Budi, Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Saifuddin, and Coordinating Minister for Political, Security and Legal Affairs, Wiranto.

Thousands of Muslims held a demonstration in the capital city on Friday to demand legal action against Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, or Ahok as he is also called, for allegedly blasphemous remark he had made.

The police have already started the investigation and have questioned witnesses. The police also plans to question Ahok on Monday.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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