Indonesian police fire shots to disperse anti-government rally

Oct 20, 2010, 9:57 GMT

Jakarta - Police in Jakarta on Wednesday fired warning shots to disperse dozens of anti-government protestors.

Protests were held in several Indonesian cities to mark the first anniversary of the beginning of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's second five-year term.

Student demonstrators in Jakarta's Menteng neighbourhood blocked a road and fought anti-riot police who tried to disperse them.

Police fought back by firing warning shots and hurling back rocks thrown at them by the students, who were mostly from the nearby Bung Karno University.

The streets of Jakarta, notorious for their traffic jams, were quiet Wednesday as residents avoided using cars out of fear of massive anti-government demonstrations, but local media reports of a planned rally involving about 20,000 people in Jakarta did not materialize.

Critics have accused Yudhoyono's government of failing to improve the lot of the country's poorest despite rising economic growth.

His supporters, however, have credited the former general with steering Indonesia to economic and political stability after years of turmoil.

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