Tragic! This Is Ganjar's Personal Experience In Trisakti During The 98th Reform

JAKARTA - The PDIP Party's presidential candidate (Readpres) Ganjar Pranowo attended a photo exhibition on the May 98 Tragedy at the Graha Pena 98 building, Menteng, Central Jakarta, Saturday, May 13.

A total of 250 photos were displayed on the 25th anniversary of this reform that described student demonstrations when overthrowing the new order regime. The photos depict student heroic actions when dealing with police and soldiers.

Not only photos, there were also a number of objects used in the 98 action. Among them are Molotov cocktails, bullet casings taken from the scene as well as police helmets and shields.

Photos and objects from student demonstrations again reminded dozens of 98 activists who were present there. One of them is Ganjar Pranowo. Ganjar, who was having an event in Jakarta, took the time to attend the 25th anniversary of the reform.

"These photos remind of the incident 25 years ago. At that time there was a shooting incident, kidnapping and others. The incident was still stuck in my mind," said Ganjar.

There was a dramatic incident that Ganjar experienced himself. During the 98 incident, Ganjar was in Jakarta. When he was about to pay his respects at Trisakti, it turned out that there were riots. There was arson everywhere.

"I remember very well, so in the morning before noon when there was the shooting incident, I was in Tanah Abang. At first I wanted to pay my respects at Trisakti, I didn't know there was a fire incident in several places. The flyover in front of Trisakti was closed, some friends stopped the tank car, put the cloth in it and burned it," recalled the presidential candidate from PDIP.

At that time, Ganjar recalled, there was a journalist from England who wanted to take a picture of the incident. But when he took pictures, there was a shooting. The journalist was shot right in front of Ganjar.

"He was shot in front of me, then collapsed and I caught him. I took him to Trisakti and asked for help. My shirt was full of blood. It was a dramatic incident that I experienced," he explained.

The 25th Anniversary of Reform was attended by a number of 98 activists. Among them were Adian Napitupulu, Sofian, Nico Sitanggang, Ari Maulana, Arnold Tenu and others.

Not only holding photo exhibitions, the 98 activists also held a declaration. They support Ganjar Pranowo as a presidential candidate in 2024.

"Thank you for your support, hopefully this will be a spirit because the 98 friends are really those on the ground, who feel the pulse of struggle, feel the suffering. Some feel the torture and of course we need to hear them," said Ganjar.

The 98 activists, Ganjar continued, will be a reference. Thus, this support is expected to be part of the spirit to oversee reform.

"Hopefully this is part of the spirit to guard the reform. So thank you to friends from 98," he concluded.