The students began congregating outside the DPRD building at around 10 a.m. local time. They blocked access to the building, held an oration, and pushed down the fence to gain forced entry into the building.
However, the police personnel managed to intercept the students to retreat, according to an Antara journalist’s observation.
"Students reject any effort to weaken the KPK," a student noted in his oration.
During the demonstration, the students also criticized the penal code bill, agrarian bill, mineral and coal bill, palm oil bill, and manpower bill as well as rejected the planned relocation of the capital city to East Kalimantan Province, violence in Papua Province, and the agrarian conflict.
The students, mostly from the Raden Fatah State Islamic University and Sriwijaya University in Palembang, held flags and banners to protest the revision of the KPK law and the bills.
The demonstration was held few hours before the inauguration of members of the South Sumatra Provincial Legislative Assembly (DPRD) for the 2019-2023 period at around 2 p.m. local time.
By 11:40 a.m. local time, the students continued to block the road.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Wiranto has appealed to students to not take to the streets but instead engage in dialog with stakeholders to echo their aspirations.
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Translator: Aziz Munajar/Suharto
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
