The day has finally come. After weeks of preparation and evacuating citizens, the Jakarta Provincial Government is today flattening Kalijodo, the capital’s infamous red-light district.
Dozens of excavators and bulldozers have been on site since early this morning and have been tearing down buildings such as cafes, bars, brothels, and illegal settlements in the area.
Jakarta Metro Police Spokesman Grand Commissioner Mohammad Iqbal said authorities deployed 5,000 personnel comprising of police officers and soldiers to maintain peace during the eviction.
“Previously, we issued first, second, and third warnings [about the eviction]. If they still want to resist, please do so without force. Go ahead and do it via the appropriate legal channels,” Iqbal said, as quoted by Tempo today.
The authorities have a perfectly good reason to be cautious of a violent rebellion in Kalijodo as the police previously found hundreds of poisoned arrows among many other weapons during raids of cafes in the area.
Thankfully, there haven’t been any reported acts of rebellion so far, safe from a handful of families who refused to leave their homes.
Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama previously announced of his plans to turn Kalijodo into a banana garden.
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