Police Name 18 Suspects Of Riots In Surabaya After The Indonesian League 1 Final

The police escorted the suspects at the Tanjung Perak Port Police Headquarters in Surabaya, Monday (3/6/2024). BETWEEN/Hanif Nashrullah

SURABAYA - The Resort Police (Polres) of Tanjung Perak Port, Surabaya, named 18 suspects of the riots that occurred after the football match in the final leg of Liga 1 Indonesia on May 31.

Deputy Chief of Police of Tanjung Perak Port Surabaya Police Commissioner Ari Bayu Aji explained that during the riots, 34 suspected perpetrators were actually arrested.

"However, finally 18 people were named as suspects. Eleven of them were minors, or classified as children," he said during a press conference reported by ANTARA, Monday, June 3.

Against the child suspects, the police involved the Class 1 Surabaya Correctional Center, the Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and the East Java Human Asasi, for guidance.

The leg 2 final soccer match between the hosts Madura United against Persib Bandung which sparked this riot should have been attended without the visitors' supporters.

The match, which was won by Persib, also named the Maung Bandung team as the 2024 Indonesian League 1 champion, took place at the Gelora Bangkalan Stadium, Madura, East Java.

However, the riots took place at the exit of the Suramadu Bridge on the Surabaya side. Namely when the masses in Surabaya confronted Persib supporters, who were actually under police escort.

The police managed to protect Persib supporters from mass attacks. However, fighting against the masses with the police was inevitable.

Deputy Chief of Police, Kompol Ari Bayu Aji, revealed that the Surabaya crowd tried to block Persib supporters, until they finally attacked the police who carried out security, because they were provoked by mutual ridicule which had previously heated up on social media.

"Regarding the criminal act, the first we suspect is Article 170 of the Criminal Code or the Criminal Code, which is anyone who openly and with joint staff uses violence against people or goods, the threat of punishment is 5 years and 6 months," he said.

In addition, the suspects were subject to Article 212 of the Criminal Code for attacking the police.

"Anyone with violence or threats of violence against a legitimate person or a person who, according to the obligation of the law as referred to in the formulation of Article 212 of the Criminal Code, can be punished with a penalty of 1 year and 4 months," said Kompol Ari.