Central Jakarta Police spokesman Comr. Suyatno said the police deployed 2,986 personnel to secure the second hearing of Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama’s blasphemy case on Tuesday.
“There are 320 personnel from the National Police, 2,542 personnel from Jakarta Police and 124 personnel from the Central Jakarta Police who will secure the court area,” Suyatno said on Tuesday.
Ahok is scheduled to attend his second hearing at the North Jakarta District Court at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, which is now temporarily located at the former Central Jakarta District Court building on Jl. Gajah Mada No 17, Central Jakarta.
Suyatno said the police were also ready to secure protests that might take place in front of the court’s building during the trial.
Ahok’s supporters and several Islamic organisations have planned to stage demonstrations during Tuesday’s hearing, which will hear prosecutors’ response to Ahok’s exception conveyed in the latter’s first hearing on Dec.13.
“The protests from supporters are aimed at reminding the judges that the law shall not bow to public pressures. We want them to enforce the law based on the facts,” Yayong Waryono, the coordinator of Ahok’s supporters, told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
Meanwhile, several Muslim organisations, including the Alliance of Muslim Movement and the Indonesian Muslim Brotherhood, aimed to push for the arrest and imprisonment of Ahok during their rallies.
