The Jakarta Metro Police announced that one police officer died and 79 others were injured during the November 4 protest, in which more than 100,000 people took to the streets of Jakarta demanding that Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama be prosecuted for an allegedly blasphemous statement against Islam.
The deceased officer was identified as 55-year-old M Syachrie Oy Bcan, who is believed to have died from an asthma attack during the protest.
“The family accepted that [M Syachrie] had a history of asthma,” said Jakarta Metro Police Spokesman Awi Setiyono, as quoted by Kompas yesterday.
In his latest update today on the casualties of the November 4 protest, Awi said that, in total, 79 officers got injured after being hit by rocks and stabbed by sharp bamboo sticks from the protesters. Eleven of them suffered more severe injuries and are still reportedly being treated at various hospitals throughout Jakarta.
“Investigators are following up the case and are identifying the suspects,” Awi said today, as quoted by Okezone.
The protest on Friday, while massive in scale, was largely peaceful throughout the afternoon. However, after most of the protesters had already gone home following the official 6pm cut-off time for the demonstration, the situation escalated when some die-hard protesters who refused to leave the area near the State Palace threw rocks at the police and torched official vehicles. The police fired tear gas and water cannons to subdue the crowd, which was eventually dispersed later in the evening.
