Last Night, Sorong Was So Gripping, The Masses Blocked The Road And The Police Were Disbanded With Tear Gas

The Sorong City Police, assisted by the West Papua Police Mobile Brigade, dispersed the crowd (ANTARA/Ernes Broning Kakisina)

JAKARTA - The Sorong City Police, assisted by the West Papua Police Mobile Brigade Unit, used tear gas to disperse a group of brutal mobs who were blocking a public road and pelting police officers with stones early Sunday.

The mass group blockaded Jalan Jenderal Sudirman for 6 hours, which certainly disrupted the activities and comfort of the people. The crowd also brought machetes and arrows as well as stones to block the police from opening the road blockade.

The brutal action was triggered by the death of a local resident who was suspected of being electrocuted above someone's house. The crowd, who did not accept the death, blocked the road to demand that the police find the perpetrators because for them the death was not caused by electrocution, but was killed.

"We blockade this highway to demand that the police find the perpetrators of the murder of our brother. For us he was killed, not electrocuted," said a mass protesting when they burned tires to block Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, Sorong city, Sunday, February 6.

The demonstrators also threatened motorists who were about to cross the road, and threw stones at police officers when they ordered them to open the road blockade.

The joint police officers from the Sorong City Police and the Papua Police Mobile Brigade immediately dispersed the mass of action by firing tear gas. The scattered crowds resisted by pelting police officers with stones and also using glass bottles.

The Sorong City Police Chief, AKBP Ary Nyoto Setiawan, confirmed that his party together with the West Papua Police Mobile Brigade were dissolving the Sudirman road blockade.

According to him, the action started when a local resident was found dead on the roof of a resident's house. Then the police conducted an investigation and found out the cause of death due to electricity and conveyed it to the family.

"Initially, the family accepted the death well and the funeral was carried out properly, but early Sunday morning there was a group of youths, mostly children, who were blocking the road so they were disbanded," added the Police Chief.