Indonesian protesters throw stones at riot police during a demonstration against the re-election of Indonesian president in Jakarta on May 22, 2019. – At least six people were killed as Indonesia’s capital erupted in violence when police clashed with protesters opposed to the re-election of President Joko Widodo. (Photo by GOH Chai Hin / AFP)
Indonesian students leave behind tons of plastic waste in anti-government rally
Indonesia saw a series of demonstrations that has little to do with climate change or the noble struggle of Swedish student and climate activist Greta Thunberg.
But the students in Jakarta and elsewhere in Indonesia left behind tons of plastic waste on the streets in the aftermath of their angry protests.
They were protesting against the proposed amendments to a colonial-era penal code that imposes fines and jail for illicit sex, penalties and jail for living together under one roof without a marriage bond and punishment for insulting the President of the country.
Student bodies decided to demonstrate last week against the amendments and they tried to enter the Parliament in Jakarta but were pushed back by the police using tear gas.
But the large demonstrations in Jakarta last week left some rather unpleasant marks on the streets says The Jakarta Globe.
https://jakartaglobe.id/context/tons-of-rubbish-left-behind-after-student-protests-in-jakarta
They left 17 tons of rubbish aside from the damage they did to public facilities.
Not only did this force cleaners to do extra shifts in cleaning up the mess around the House of Representatives in South Jakarta but they also chased off the MP’s who did not turn up at the assembly.
Local portals published pictures of the house showing a deserted plenary session last Thursday.
Last week, TISG reported the good news that a lot of people attended the first-ever climate change rally in Singapore.
http://theindependent.sg/plastic-is-the-big-winner-at-the-singapore-grand-prix/
But we also reported on the bad news with a lot of people leaving a lot of trash at the Singapore Grand Prix. They left a lot of plastic items such as bottles and other disposables.
In Jakarta, the cleaners had to pick plastic and other disposable items on the streets as they were strewn on and around Jalan Gatot Subroto, Gerbang Pemuda and the Semanggi interchange.
Jakarta dumps its waste in the Bantar Gebang landfill in Bekasi in the neighbouring province of West Java.
Among the demonstrators were university students, high school grads and influencers who encouraged them and handed them water in plastic bottles.
Reports say plastic also featured in another way at the Formula One event, as Kevin Magnussen, who races for Haas, had a plastic sandwich bag stuck in the front wing of his car, which affected its aerodynamics, and therefore, his overall performance. -/TISG
