Police deploy 25,000 officers to guard May Day march

Sita W. Dewi and Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Tangerang | Headlines | Wed, May 01 2013, 10:06 AM

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The police prepared 25,000 personnel, including soldiers and officers from the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP), to safeguard International Workers Day commemorations in the capital city.

City police chief Insp. Gen. Putut Eko Bayuseno said on Tuesday that at least 150,000 workers from various unions would descend on the city for organized marches that would center on the Presidential Palace on Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara, Central Jakarta.

“The traffic police will clear roads along the rally routes and detour traffic to alternative roads,” he told a press conference at his office.

Workers from satellite cities such as Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi are expected to congregate at several meeting points in Central Jakarta at about 9 a.m. and then walk en masse to the Palace. It is planned that some groups would then march on to the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the Attorney General’s Office (AGO), the office of state insurer for workers Jamsostek, City Hall, the Constitutional Court and the National Police headquarters as well as the House of Representatives compound.

City traffic police chief Sr. Comr. Chrysnanda Dwi Laksana said that the demonstrators were not allowed to bring vehicles to the meeting points to avoid traffic congestion. The police would provide parking space in Lapangan Banteng Square and the Istiqlal Grand Mosque in Central Jakarta.

“We will update the traffic condition in real time through the TMC website, Twitter, Facebook as well as live reports on the radio,” he said.

Transjakarta Management Authority (BLU Transjakarta) head M. Akbar said that Transjakarta buses would operate on May Day. However, the several corridors, affected by massive rallies, would be rerouted.

In anticipation of the worst-case scenario, BLU Transjakarta will cease operating corridors affected by the rallies.

“We will focus on corridors that pass the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, the Presidential Palace and the House of Representatives compound,” Akbar said, adding that they would drop passengers off at the nearest bus stop if their buses got caught in the rallies.

Coordinator of the Indonesian Workers Union Council (MPBI), Andi Gani, said that the workers had promised a peaceful rally.

“There will no anarchy or toll road blockade tomorrow,” he said.

The workers, he said, would stage demands for the government to raise the provincial minimum wages and provide them with better access to healthcare and call for an end to outsourcing.

The workers would also ask President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to make true on his promise to make May 1 a national holiday.

Previously, thousands of workers in Tangerang from the Peoples Movement against Capitalism
(Gerak) revealed their plan to block access to the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Wednesday to put pressure on the President.

Tangerang municipal Manpower Agency head Abduh Surahman played down the workers’ plan to occupy the airport, saying it was all just hot air.

“The airport is an important compound and is heavily guarded. It would be impossible to block access to it,” he said. (tam)

May Day demonstration routes

Demo routes:
Presidential Palace, City Hall, Constitutional Court building, Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) building, Jamsostek building, the National Police headquarters, Manpower and Transmigration Ministry building, Attorney General’s Office, the House of Representatives compound

Traffic diversions (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
• Motorists traveling from South Jakarta to Central Jakarta will be diverted along Jl. Halimun or Jl. Galunggung in Dukuh Atas to avoid the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle

• Those traveling past the BNI 46 Tower in Jl. Sudirman will be directed to Tanah Abang or Manggarai to avoid Jl. MH Thamrin

• Motorists are advised to use Jl. Prof. Dr. Satrio from Karet Sudirman to Casablanca and Kampung Melayu to avoid possible congestion along Jl. Gatot Subroto

Transjakarta detour plan:
Corridor 1 (Blok M – Kota)
Buses will divert to Jl. Mas Mansyur – Jl. Abdul Muis – Harmoni

Corridor 9 (Pluit – Pinang Ranti)
Buses will use the inner-city toll road from the Slipi gate

Source: Jakarta Police

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