Labor Action in Bandung Colorized by Riot, 2 photographers beaten by the police

Bandung –
The labor dispute in Bandung was marked by unrest. The crowd dressed in black and black clothes chased the police. During the course of the action, two photojournalists were reportedly subjected to intimidation and violence by the police while taking photos.

This event was lived by photographer and independent journalist Iqbal Kusumadireza (Reza) of Tempo Prima Mulia. At that time, the two men were covering the movement of workers who would be acting in Gedung Sate.

Arriving in Singaperbangsa Street, around Dipatiukur, Prima and Reza witnessed a commotion between the police and a predominantly black shirt. A mbad of black clothes was seen being beaten by police. Both want to capture the moment.

Taking pictures, Reza was suddenly captured by a police officer suspected of being a unit of the Prabu Polrestabes Bandung team. The agent asked for the identity and deleted the photo on Reza's camera.

"Before the camera was taken, he had also been kicked in. I kept my camera while I was saying that I was a journalist," Reza said in a statement. release by AJI Bandung on Wednesday (1/5/2019).

Meanwhile, Prima claimed that he had not received any physical violence from the police. Prima was only intimidated by a number of plainclothes policemen and the photos on her camera will be removed.

"I was arrested by 3 civilian policemen while I was leading and asking for the removal of the image." From there, I saw Reza suffer physical abuse and be thrown to the ground. pictures have been removed, "said Prima.

Once confirmed, Kapolrestabes Bandung Commissioner, Irman Sugema, said the intimidation and alleged abuses were due to a misunderstanding. He called Prima and Reza did not use any identity.

During the incident, the police were securing a group of teenagers who were committing acts of vandalism. The teenager was suspected of having infiltrated the labor dispute in Gedung Sate. The police tried to keep them agitated and pursued.

"They did not show their identity, they (the mbad of teenagers dressed in black) also took pictures, so we do not know which journalists or not," said Irman.

At the same time, the president of the Prabu Polrestabes Bandung III team, Ipda Suyanto, stressed that it is not a member who has intimidated and persecuted journalists.

"So I just ask the member to return the camera (reporter)," said Suyanto.

(mud / ern)

<! –

->