About 50 to 100 people have been detained for questioning.Semarang, C Java (ANTARA) - Police detained 50 to 100 demonstrators in Semarang after dispersing a rally staged outside the Central Java Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD) building on Wednesday to protest the passage of the job creation bill into law.
“About 50 to 100 people have been detained for questioning,” chief of the Semarang city police, Senior Commissioner Auliansyah Lubis, said.
The questioning is aimed at determining the involvement of irresponsible people who led to the rally ending in chaos, he added.
The police have alleged that people other than workers and students participated in the rally.
Lubis said some people had aroused the suspicion of the police even before the rally began.
They arrived at the scene before the coordinator of the rally announced a plan to stage a protest on Pahlawan Street in Semarang, he explained.
Tear gas and water cannons were used to disperse the rally after some protesters reportedly pelted stones, plastic bottles, and firecrackers at police personnel. The protestors also reportedly vandalized facilities inside the yard of the DPRD building, which is located near the Central Java governor's office.
The demonstrators forced their way into the DPRD compounds after reportedly breaking the building's entrance gate.
The passage of the job creation bill into law at the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta sparked widespread rallies in other cities in the country, including Jakarta, on Wednesday.
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Translator: IC Senjaya/Suharto
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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