MALANG, Indonesia
\nThousands of people in Indonesia rallied Thursday demanding justice and a thorough investigation into those they blame for the stampede at Kanjuruhan football stadium that left 135 people dead last month.
\nSupporters of Arema FC started the rally with the prayer at the in East Java\u2019s Malang city as they commemorated 40 days since the tragedy that occurred after police fired tear gas at a domestic league football match and caused a deadly crush as spectators attempted to flee.
\nProtesters from regions outside of the Malang area joined the rally. Organizers have described the events leading up to the deaths of the football spectators as human rights violations.
\n\u201cDo arrest and judge all actors behind and the executors on the field from the Kanjuruhan tragedy on October 1,\u201d the Arema fans, known as \u201cAremania,\u201d said in a written statement Thursday. \u201cMake the Kanjuruhan tragedy a serious human rights violation and not just a minor human rights violation.
\n\u201cPay for all losses suffered by the victim and the victim\u2019s family through compensation and restitution mechanisms.\u201d
\nThe protesters planned to visit several landmarks in Malang, including the Gajayana football stadium, Malang city square and Malang City Hall.
\nMalang Mayor Sutiaji, who like many Indonesians uses only one name, met the participants and thanked them for the peaceful rally. Government officials in Malang are wearing black for two days to mark 40 days since one of the world\u2019s deadliest sporting disasters.
\nAn investigation team, set up by Indonesian President Joko Widodo in response to a national outcry over the deaths, last month concluded that the tear gas was the main cause.
\nIt said police on duty had no knowledge that the use of tear gas is prohibited at football stadiums and used it \u201cindiscriminately\u201d on the pitch, in the stands and outside the stadium, causing more than 42,000 spectators inside the 36,000-seat stadium to rush to the exits, several of which were locked.
\nThe fact-finding team, which included government officials, football and security experts and activists, also concluded that the national football association, known as PSSI, had been negligent and had ignored safety and security regulations, and urged its chairman and executive committee to quit.
\nPolice officers fired tear gas when fans flooded the pitch after Arema FC was defeated in a home match for the first time in 23 years by rival Persebaya Surabaya.
\nThe match was attended only by Arema fans, as organizers had banned Persebaya supporters because of Indonesia\u2019s history of violent football rivalries.
\nNational Police have removed the police chiefs of East Java province and Malang district and suspended nine other officers over violations of professional ethics.
\nAuthorities have said they are bringing criminal charges against six people for negligence, including the head of the league\u2019s administration, PT Liga Indonesia Baru, two Arema FC officials and three police officers who allowed or ordered officers to use tear gas. They have been arrested by the East Java police and could face up to five years in jail.
\nFIFA President Gianni Infantino has met President Widodo and pledged to help improve stadium safety.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MALANG, Indonesia Thousands of people in Indonesia rallied Thursday demanding justice and a thorough investigation into those they blame for the stampede at Kanjuruhan football stadium that left 135 people dead last month. Supporters of Arema FC started the rally with the prayer at the in East Java\u2019s Malang city as they commemorated 40 days […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":294518,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-294494","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n