- Title: Indonesian police fire tear gas to break up anti-graft, sex-ban law protests
- Date: 30th September 2019
- Summary: JAKARTA, INDONESIA (SEPTEMBER 30, 2019) (REUTERS) POLICE FIRING TEAR GAS TOWARDS PROTESTERS PROTESTERS SURROUNDED BY TEAR GAS PROTESTERS AND POLICE / TEAR GAS AND OBJECTS BEING FIRED PROTESTERS WAVING FLAGS ON ROAD JAKARTA, INDONESIA (SEPTEMBER 30, 2019) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) POLICE VEHICLES / FLARES EXPLODING OVERHEAD POLICE FIRING TEAR GAS FROM VEHICLE PROTESTER SEEN IN BETWEEN POLICE SHIELDS POLICE FORMING BARRICADE WITH SHIELDS WHILE FIRING TEAR GAS SMOKE FROM TEAR GAS / POLICE OFFICERS IN FOREGROUND ROCK ON THE GROUND / POLICE OFFICERS AND VEHICLES IN THE BACKGROUND POLICE VEHICLES SURROUNDED BY DEBRIS TWO TEAR GAS CANISTERS ON STREET DEBRIS BURNING / PROTESTERS IN THE BACKGROUND VARIOUS OF DEBRIS ON FIRE POLICE WEARING GAS MASKS DEBRIS BURNING IN FRONT OF POLICE OFFICERS
- Embargoed: 14th October 2019 15:39
- Keywords: Joko Widodo graft criminal code tear gas Indonesia rally police corruption protesters student rallies human rights protest sex outside marriage
- Location: JAKARTA, INDONESIA
- City: JAKARTA, INDONESIA
- Country: Indonesia
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA001AYUO8QV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Indonesian police fired tear gas to break up a rally near Parliament on Monday (September 30) as several thousand protesters gathered to oppose a new law that critics say undermines the anti-graft agency, and a criminal code that would ban sex outside marriage,
At a closing meeting on Monday, Parliament officially agreed to delay to its next term a vote on the criminal code bill. A new parliament will be sworn in on Tuesday (October 1).
Lawmakers had rushed to finish debates on a number of bills in their final days in session, including passing into law a bill governing the anti-corruption agency, known as the KPK, which activists say hurts its ability to act effectively.
This sparked a series of student rallies across the country - some of the biggest since 1998 student protests fuelled unrest that led to the fall of former strongman leader Suharto.
Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd of students, activists and union members as they sought to reach Parliament and blocked part of a road.
Student protesters have been using social media to coordinate their actions, including to raise money on a crowdfunding platform.
More than 20,000 police and military personnel were deployed to maintain security in the capital, according to media.
Students also staged protests in the cities of Yogyakarta and Solo in central Java.
Last week, President Joko Widodo said he would consider revoking the KPK law and ordered police restraint after the death of two student protesters, one of whom died of bullet wounds, according to police.
A list of student demands has been circulated on social media, which alongside opposing the new laws demands to stop forest fires and remove the heavy military presence in the restive easternmost area of Papua.
(Production: Adi Kurniawan, Heru Asprihanto) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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