By: Muhammad Rinaldi )*
Demonstrations are one way to convey aspirations governed by the constitution. However, in recent days, demonstrations often end in anarchist actions and cause misery to the public. In fact, a polite and peaceful demonstration without harassment will attract sympathy and appreciation from the wider community.
The police finally arrested a student who was alleged to have taken down a photo of the president in a demonstration in West Sumatra. Director of Criminal Investigation Trimurti Nugroho AKBP Muchtar Siregar said that one of the students who had been secured had been named a suspect.
He said the involvement of the suspect as the perpetrators of the decline in photos of President Joko Widodo during the demonstration. The perpetrators were secured on Thursday, September 26, 2019 in the Regional Government Complex, Padang Sarai Village, Koto Tangah District, Padang City at 06.00.
The results of the interrogation conducted by the police showed that the suspect took down the photo of the president only by spontaneity.
The student with the initials IT is known to have taken down a photo of President Joko Widodo when students entered the West Sumatra DPRD building. The photo of Jokowi was previously in the main meeting room that is usually used by board members for plenary sessions.
The video of the action when he lowered the photo of the President of Indonesia was circulated in various social media timelines. In the video, TI is seen lowering the President’s photo with a rope.
The incident began when students from various universities in West Sumatra surrounded the West Sumatra Governor’s Office. Students come from outside the region such as Bukittinggi, Payakumbuh, Dharmasraya and others.
In his speech, Students want the government to be serious in dealing with issues such as forest and land fires.
After giving speeches for 3.5 hours, thousands of students occupied the West Sumatra DPRD Building around 14.30 WIB.
At the same time, they also forced the West Sumatra DPRD to send a letter of demands to President Jokowi and the DPR RI.
They also demanded the cancellation of the RKUHP, the land bill and a number of revisions to the law which were considered problematic. The students also urged the West Sumatra DPRD to join with the students to sign the demands sent to Jakarta.
Provisional Deputy Chairman of the West Sumatra DPRD Irsyad Syafar along with a number of DPRD members approved the demand.
After being typed and signed under the stamp, the claim letter was then immediately delivered to the Post Office by a member of the West Sumatra DPRD Afrizal accompanied by a number of students.
The demonstration continued, the singing of Indonesia Raya was echoed from the mouths of the participants, the students managed to enter the council building and break through the police ranks.
Until Wednesday afternoon, students still arrive. The demonstrators also succeeded in occupying the council building and broke through the police guard line.
But apparently the atmosphere did not go smoothly, where the student demo ended up in chaos. The demonstrators managed to occupy the main courtroom.
Glass table was broken, chairs and tables destroyed. They also stood on the table and gave speeches. Sounds like “Student Life, This belongs to the people,” the student shouted, followed by other students.
The atmosphere became uncontrollable, the windows and windows of the building were damaged. The police suspected there was an intruder during the Student demonstration which ended in anarchism.
The police suspect the presence of intruders during the student demonstration. The intruder allegedly provoked so students did anarchism by destroying the West Sumatra DPRD Building.
To investigate this incident, the police have taken all the CCTV camera recordings in the West Sumatra DPRD.
In the aftermath of the uncontrolled demonstrators, the police secured TI who was a student at Padang State University. TI was charged with article 170 of the Indonesian Criminal Code concerning destruction with a maximum imprisonment of 6 years and 6 months.
This news is certainly a lesson for us so that it is not easily provoked by intruders, of course there is no prohibition to carry out demonstrations, but that does not mean the action was colored by these uncivilized actions.
If Indonesia is a country that loves peace, we should maintain that peace in every moment that exists.
If indeed the demonstrators claim that the DPR building is owned by the people, it does not mean that the demonstrators have the right to damage it, precisely because the building belongs to the people, it is appropriate for the people to take care of it and not damage it.
The suspect in the reduction of the President’s photo has also admitted his mistake, hopefully we can all be wiser in dealing with all the cases in this nation.
)* The author is a social observer of the community