BANDUNG, Indonesia: Indonesian police fired tear gas into crowds of protesters near two universities in the major regional city of Bandung, student groups and authorities said on Tuesday (Sep 2), raising tensions around demonstrations that have killed eight since last week.
The protests began in the capital Jakarta, targeting government spending such as enhanced perks for lawmakers, and have since spread nationwide. They escalated into rioting and looting after a police vehicle hit and killed a motorcycle taxi driver, causing millions of dollars of damage in the capital.
Authorities fired tear gas into crowds near the campuses of the Islamic University of Bandung, or UNISBA, and nearby Pasundan University, more than 140km from Jakarta, student groups at the two institutions said on Instagram.
Pasundan student Yoga Tadiyalaga Ruchiyat said students were angry over the incident.
“The educational ground is neutral, a safe zone,” he said.
University students have long been regarded as vanguards of Indonesia’s democracy, having taken a leading role in protests that helped topple President Suharto in 1998.
Police official Hendra Rochmawan said authorities did not enter the campuses but tried to break up crowds of non-student protesters seeking protection within the grounds, as crowds blocked roads in the area.
UNISBA Rector Harits Nu’man echoed the police statement, saying the campus served as a medical hub for protesters.
The UNISBA student body accused security forces of seeking to silence dissent, saying they “brutally attacked” the campus with tear gas.
Source: CNA
