Reject DWP By Burning Tires And Making Jam

JAKARTA - The office of the Governor of DKI Anies Baswedan was raided again. This afternoon, the Islamic Youth Movement (GPI) held a demonstration against the 2019 Djakarta Warehouse Project (DWP) event in front of City Hall, Central Jakarta. Yesterday, a mass called the Indonesian Indigenous Movement (GEPRINDO) also demanded the same thing.

This time the group brought a commando car, complete with loudspeakers. Other supplies they brought were banners that were spread across the City Hall gates, the GPI logo flag, and several car tires.

At around 14.30 WIB, the masses, mostly teenagers, lined up and unfurled banners against them, reading "Reject the DWP Immoral Concert, Free Sex, Narcotic, Alcohol". The Head of Action for the General Head of GPI Jakarta, Rahmat Himran, began giving speeches.

"We ask the governor of DKI Jakarta to think carefully, wisely and professionally and we need to consider what are the principles of the benefits of this activity. We ask for this activity to be stopped. Before we cancel it at the TKP," said Rahmat at the location, Thursday, December 12.

Occasionally, the masses climbed the gates of the City Hall building, before being asked to get off by officers of the City Hall pamdal and police officers on guard around the gate.

Rahmat said that his party wanted to negotiate with Anies to convey their aspirations. However, at the same time Anies was doing activities in the Pattern Room, City Hall Building. Finally, negotiations were not carried out.

However, the action didn't stop there. The crowd leaned the tires against the gate and burned the tires. Black smoke struggled high into the air. The smell of tire smoke spread to a radius of 30 meters.

Seeing the fire spread to the City Hall gate, Rahmat reminded them to stay away from the tires from the gate. According to the orator, the crowd shifted the tires to a safer place. The pamdal officer immediately put out the fire using an extinguisher.

Even though it was foggy of smoke, the spirit of the masses did not subside. They were beating the tires using the grip of the flag they were holding.

"Don't beat (tires) with the flag, comrades. That's our flag, it will break," said Rahmat.

Before long, the orator asked the masses to unfurl a banner in the middle of Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan. Traffic conditions become choked up, spreading to the Tugu Tani area. The police directly controlled the traffic that was left with only one lane.

In the afternoon, the GPI crowd decided to leave the location. Their action was fruitless because there was no negotiation process with the DKI Provincial Government.

Previously, Anies was asked about the granting of the DWP operating license. However, he was reluctant to comment. Anies even let go of his hand and asked his men to ask questions.

"I'm not commenting. Ask the Tourism Office," said Anies.

Separately, the Acting Head of the Tourism Office, Alberto Ali admitted that the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government received quite a lot of criticism and input from residents regarding the implementation of ten DWP activities in previous years.

However, the DWP operating license was still granted. With a note, there are special provisions that must be obeyed by the organizer.

"The committee also promised the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government to ensure that this activity is free from the use of drugs and other addictive substances," said Alberto.

If the promise of the 2019 DWP executive committee is broken, then the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government will act decisively including being able to revoke the activity permit.

In fact, this is not the first time Anies has been demonstrated over the issue of the annual music concert that will be held in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta. In 2017, Anies came under pressure from a number of mass organizations to cancel the DWP concert.

At that time, the demonstrators considered that the event only contained an agenda of immorality. With the issuance of the event permit, Anies is considered to support the sale of liquor (alcohol) provided in concerts.

However, the event which was held two years ago is still running. With notes, Anies ordered the Tourism Office, Satpol PP and Police to oversee the course of the event.

In 2018, the DWP was not held in Jakarta, but in Bali. In the absence of this annual music concert, DKI has lost billions of revenues. This was admitted by the Head of the Regional Tax and Retribution Agency (BPRD) Faisal Syafruddin.

"One of the factors for the decline in income, for example, was not holding a DWP in Jakarta. The one previously in Kemayoran, moved to Bali. The potential for a decrease in income is around Rp. 6 billion," said Faisal.

Moreover, currently, DPRD DKI is urging BPRD to boost tax sector revenue to increase by Rp. 800 billion from the initial prediction of Rp. 87.1 trillion. Therefore, big concerts like this are needed by DKI to increase regional income.