In the morning, a crowd — mostly online motorcycle taxi (ojol) drivers — gathered outside the headquarters, throwing objects in protest over the death of an ojol driver who was run over by a Brimob tactical vehicle during a demonstration the previous night.
ANTARA observed that TNI AL (Navy) soldiers approached the protesters at around 9:45 a.m. local time, urging them to remain calm and refrain from throwing objects at Brimob officers, who had formed a barricade. The soldiers managed to communicate with the crowd and gradually diffuse the tension, preventing escalation.
Earlier, at about 9:30 a.m., protesters had thrown objects and shouted at Brimob headquarters in Kwitang, Central Jakarta. Dozens of Brimob personnel stood in formation with shields to block the crowd's advance.
The protest was triggered by Thursday's rally at the Parliamentary Complex, which ended with the death of 21-year-old Affan Kurniawan, an ojol driver struck by a Brimob tactical vehicle seen moving toward protesters in widely circulated videos.
After the incident, protesters attempted to chase down the vehicle, while fellow ojol drivers later gathered at Brimob headquarters demanding justice for Kurniawan.
National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo on Friday morning personally apologized to Kurniawan’s family and to the public.
"We will hold a meeting. Rest assured that we will handle every single problem," he told reporters after visiting the family at a Jakarta hospital.
Head of the Polri Professional and Security Division (Propam) Inspector General Abdul Karim confirmed that seven Brimob officers inside the vehicle had been questioned. He assured the public that the investigation would be conducted transparently.
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Translator: Mario S, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Anton Santoso
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