Jakarta Protesters Insist They Weren't Paid
The local rent-a-mob tradition continued on Wednesday during a
demonstration allegedly in support of the National Police and Attorney
General’s Office in Central Jakarta.
Around 700 protesters
gathered outside the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle at 12:30 p.m.
before marching to the Presidential Palace, causing traffic jams.
The
rally participants carried posters bearing a variety of statements both
slamming the president’s fact-finding team and supporting the National
Police and the Attorney General’s Office in their plans to continue to
pursue charges against two deputy chairmen of the Corruption
Eradication Commission (KPK), Chandra M Hamzah and Bibit Samad Rianto.
One rally participant said he was not paid to join the demonstration but admitted that he was given money “for transportation.”
Another participant named Jati said he was asked to join the demonstration by his friend.
“We
were not paid [to join the rally]. We were only given Rp 25,000 [$2.67]
for transportation. We are just excited because the topic is very hot
on TV. We want to join in the excitement,” he said, while holding up a
poster declaring fact-finding team “Team 8 Are Just Clowns.”
However, not all participants at the rally seemed to understand what they were campaigning for.
“I just know the Team of Eight often appears on TV,” a demonstrator named Surono reportedly told detik.com.
JG
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caravan25
10:34 AM January 29, 2010It was interesting to note on METRO how some of the organizer FORCED honest working people to join their demo. Those workers went AGAINST their will. Who is talking about Democrazy, this is Kidnapping and Terror, so how can they complain about /sby, they should introspect. I also doubt that the so called students were students but mostly unemployed people taking advantage of the money. My BIG question: WHO pays those people ? Those waiting in th wings hoping to become President / VP ? GOD PROTECT US...