REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- General Secretary of Alumni 212, Bernard Abdul Jabbar asserted that the group did not coordinate movement to elect new president during Car Free Day in Jakarta on Sunday (April 29) morning. However, he admitted some members of Alumni 212 participate on the event popular with the hashtag 2019GantiPresiden.
"They came based on their own will," he said on Monday (April 30).
Bernard said that the mass who distribute or wear t-shirt printed with slogan #2019GantiPresiden also came without being organized nor paid. He said it was spontaneous act.
Meanwhile, Bernard also commented on alleged intimidation by people who wore #2019GantiPresiden t-shirts. There were two incidents recorded in videos that went viral.
The first scenes showed a man with #DiaSibukKerja t-shirt was walking through a group of people who wear t-shirts that indicate their support to elect new president in 2019. Some men tailed him and waved banknotes on him.
The second scenes showed a mother who wear t-shirt of support to Joko Widodo walked with her son through a crowd of people from the opposite political axis. Some men teased her and it brought tears to her son eyes. Meanwhile, some other men tried to escort the mother and son.
"I was left behind the group because my son had to make a stop at a nearest toilet," Susi Ferawati said.
Bernard said any form of intimidation is not allowed. He invited those who felt victimized to report to the police.
"Please report it to the police," he said.
Bernard asked the police to investigate the incident. He said it also could be done by people who want to harm the event.
Meanwhile, the police have urged those who were intimidated during the event to file a police report. The police were still learning the possibility of criminal acts of intimidation last Sunday.
"We will see whether there were criminal act or not," Head of Public Information Bureau of Public Relations Division of the National Police Mohammad Iqbal said on Monday.
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