Anti-Suharto Protesters Clash With Police in Jakarta

Hundreds of students hurling rocks and bottles clashed with police Friday in the streets of Jakarta, demanding that former President Suharto be tried for alleged corruption during his 32 years in power.

Police outside Suharto’s house fired rounds of tear gas at protesters chanting “Hang Suharto!” Dozens of students set fire to tires in the streets of the capital and threw stones at police, who fired more tear gas.

“Put Suharto on trial now!” read one poster carried by a protester. Others in the crowd carried pictures of the former leader with his eyes punched out.

Elsewhere, demonstrators smashed windows at a police station and threw Molotov cocktails inside. At least six people were arrested.

The protests came on the second anniversary of the killing of six students by police in the waning days of Suharto’s authoritarian regime.

The former president, now 78, has been charged with corruption but not yet tried. He has refused to be questioned by prosecutors, saying he is too ill.

Earlier Friday, about 1,000 students protested outside parliament demanding that Suharto be prosecuted.

A memorial was unveiled in front of Trisakti University honoring the students who died there two years ago. Funded by teachers, students and relatives of the victims, it has 32-foot steel pillars with holes near the top symbolizing the gunshots that killed them.