Tuesday marked the day the fuel price finally rose, and with it, the tension. The 2-week string of protests escalated in a citywide series of fires, violence, and damage culminating in the closure of universities and an ever-increasing police presence.
Driving through the city it is hard to believe Makassar is not actually at war. The police and military are present everywhere you look. The police have large tank-like trucks of multiple purposes. Some are buses carting police in and arrested students out. Others are closed up and their purpose can only be guessed, though the guns on top make it a little more clear. These trucks are parked on corners, under overpasses, and in parking lots, accompanied by hundreds of police and soldiers, just waiting for orders to move in.
The UNHAS (Universitas Hasanuddin) campus was attacked ferociously on Tuesday November 18th. This was the main push for campus closers. Residents angered by the road blockages caused by protestors, mixed with agitated youth and fed-up police led to burnt police posts, damaged buildings, and scores of people being injured by rocks and arrows. Fire is a favourite tactic of protests here as well and piles of burnt bike and motorcycle skeletons littered the roadway in and around campus.
It is not just the students causing damage, contrary to somewhat popular belief. The question has been asked by onlookers why destroy their own buildings? Why target the schools? The schools though are not targets, rather opportune points to gather strength in numbers. It needs to be remembered that the educated youth of a country are those most likely to effect change over the future. These campuses house those with upcoming power and those strongest attached to and effected by the decisions of politicians today.
The UNHAS (Universitas Hasanuddin) campus was attacked ferociously on Tuesday November 18th. This was the main push for campus closers. Residents angered by the road blockages caused by protestors, mixed with agitated youth and fed-up police led to burnt police posts, damaged buildings, and scores of people being injured by rocks and arrows. Fire is a favourite tactic of protests here as well and piles of burnt bike and motorcycle skeletons littered the roadway in and around campus.
It is not just the students causing damage, contrary to somewhat popular belief. The question has been asked by onlookers why destroy their own buildings? Why target the schools? The schools though are not targets, rather opportune points to gather strength in numbers. It needs to be remembered that the educated youth of a country are those most likely to effect change over the future. These campuses house those with upcoming power and those strongest attached to and effected by the decisions of politicians today.
The students of course are not free of blame for the violence. Their protests do involve rock throwing when provoked by police, road blockages, and tires set ablaze to claim their space.
The real violence erupts however, once residents and police are involved. Anger over inconvenience and impressions of ineffective and ill-targeted action has lead residents surrounding campus to attack the groups as a way to end the protests. As well, police, agitated by disrespect, have been seen here to dominantly attempt to take it back. Thrown rocks by youth have been met with beatings, shooting (rubber bullets, as far as I know), and aggressive destruction of property (campus buildings and motorbikes).
How one can avoid violence in this situation is currently unclear. With an event unlikely to change (the fuel price increase), people getting tired of disruption, and a voiceless youth, these escalations are no surprise and seemingly impossible to avoid.
Tensions are high in Makassar and how this will all play out is anyone’s guess right now.
The real violence erupts however, once residents and police are involved. Anger over inconvenience and impressions of ineffective and ill-targeted action has lead residents surrounding campus to attack the groups as a way to end the protests. As well, police, agitated by disrespect, have been seen here to dominantly attempt to take it back. Thrown rocks by youth have been met with beatings, shooting (rubber bullets, as far as I know), and aggressive destruction of property (campus buildings and motorbikes).
How one can avoid violence in this situation is currently unclear. With an event unlikely to change (the fuel price increase), people getting tired of disruption, and a voiceless youth, these escalations are no surprise and seemingly impossible to avoid.
Tensions are high in Makassar and how this will all play out is anyone’s guess right now.