- Title: Thousands of Indonesian Islamic hardliners protest against police
- Date: 16th January 2017
- Summary: JAKARTA, INDONESIA (JANUARY 16, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ISLAMIC DEFENDERS FRONT (FPI) MEMBERS MARCHING TOWARDS INDONESIAN POLICE HEADQUARTERS RIOT POLICE LOOKING AT PROTESTERS TRUCK CARRYING FPI SPIRITUAL LEADER, HABIB RIZIEQ, MOVING PROTESTERS/TRUCK CARRYING RIZIEQ PROTESTER HOLDING BANNER READING (Bahasa Indonesia): "POLICE CHIEF IS RESPONSIBLE TO FIRE AND BRING HOOLIGAN GENERAL TO JUSTICE" (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) PROTESTER, UDIN SAYING: "Social media did not show the facts- it is true that the violence was initiated by the hooligans (police) and was targeting FPI, that's why we are here to call on the police chief to take action on them. If they are not punished we will continue to log reports. It was unfair that they investigate Habib Rizieq after receiving only one report, but the police waited for a while before interrogating Ahok (Jakarta's governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama), that was unfair. We are asking for justice." VARIOUS OF POLICE/BARB WIRE POLICE/PROTESTERS RIZIEQ TALKING TO FPI MEMBERS POLICE/PROTESTERS PROTESTERS LOOKING ON PROTESTERS LISTENING TO RIZIEQ'S SPEECH
- Embargoed: 30th January 2017 07:11
- Keywords: Indonesia protest Islam muslim police
- Location: JAKARTA, INDONESIA
- City: JAKARTA, INDONESIA
- Country: Indonesia
- Reuters ID: LVA0015ZBXS91
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:About 1,000 members from a hardline Indonesian Islamic group protested on Monday (January 16) against what they said was "police violence" against them, and called for a provincial police chief to step down.
Members from Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) holding banners asked police chief Tito Karnavian to fire the West Java province police head as they marched from a mosque in south Jakarta to the police headquarters.
The group said it was suppressed last week by police with violence in Bandung, West Java province, during an interrogation of their spiritual leader Habib Rizieq, who is facing allegations of insulting Indonesian founding principles, Pancasila, and first President, Sukarno.
Protesters said the action against them was a "hooligan act".
"Social media did not show the facts - it is true that the violence was initiated by the hooligans (police) and was targeting FPI, that's why we are here to call on the police chief to take action on them," said a protester, Udin, who goes by one name like many Indonesians.
"If they are not punished we will continue to log report. It was unfair that they investigate Habib Rizieq after received only one report, but the police waited for a while before interrogating Ahok (Jakarta's governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama), that was unfair. We are asking for justice," he says referring to a blasphemy allegation against Jakarta Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama.
The FPI, which claims around five million members and advocates sharia law across Indonesia's multi-cultural archipelago, has a history of harassing minorities. It has forced churches and mosques run by non-Sunni Muslims to close and raids nightclubs and bars it believes foster immorality.
It grabbed the political spotlight by seizing on Jakarta Governor Purnama's indelicate remark on the Koran during his re-election campaign, where he is standing against two Muslim candidates. Purnama has been on trial for blasphemy.
It also brought over 200,000 protesters into the heart of Jakarta to protest against Purnama on November last year, which ended with violence. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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