Latest news with #brawls
CNA
28-05-2025
- General
- CNA
Tackling youth brawls in Indonesia
Youth brawls and hooliganism are hardly unique to Indonesia and are complex problems that have persisted for generations. A recent brawl involving primary students in Depok, West Java and another incident in Manggarai, Jakarta have sparked renewed concerns about the problem. CNA takes a look at the root causes of such brawls in Indonesia and what can be done to prevent them.
CNA
28-05-2025
- Health
- CNA
Deadly youth brawls spark concerns in Indonesia, but can such violence be stopped?
MARGINALISED COMMUNITIES = MORE BRAWLS, SAY EXPERTS Youth brawls and hooliganism are hardly unique to Indonesia and are complex problems that have persisted for generations, experts told CNA. Ichsan Malik, a lecturer on peace and conflict resolution from the Indonesia Defense University in Bogor, West Java, said the first brawl reported by a national newspaper was one involving high school students in Jakarta in 1968. He said a brawl in Indonesia is commonly understood to involve the use of weapons. If no weapon is used, in Indonesia, it is usually labelled a fight. Brawls are more common among high school students because it is during adolescence when one is forming one's identity, which may manifest in the teenagers being 'more easily frustrated and aggressive', said Ichsan. The brawl in Depok involving primary school students could have happened because children nowadays are exposed to many things from an early age with the rise of social media, said Ichsan. Educational expert Doni Koesoema from Multimedia Nusantara University in Tangerang, Banten, said that brawls also took place when he was in junior high school in Surabaya in 1986. However, the brawls in those days were not so violent, he said. In the past, brawls tended to happen between students from different schools in Indonesia but, these days, they also happen between groups of young adults from different neighbourhoods, said sociologist Bagong Suyanto from Surabaya's Airlangga University. He shared Ichsan's view that brawls tend to happen more in marginalised or poor, homogeneous neighbourhoods with unemployment or poor employment prospects. Parts of Manggarai sub-district in Jakarta, for instance, are notorious for brawls between residents from different neighbourhoods, which have taken place for decades. According to informal parking attendant Muhammad Lutfi, 24, who is a resident there, the brawls have become more frequent since the area became busier with the revamp of Manggarai train station in recent years. Fights these days are usually due to tussles over who gets to work informally at a particular commercial space or the quest for domination in a certain area, he said. The rise of online shopping has also made weapons such as machetes and knives more accessible, said Lutfi. Lutfi himself became caught in a tussle earlier this month. He was taking a nap at a parking lot on the evening of May 4 when more than a dozen young people came storming towards him and hit his head with a sickle. 'I think the brawl here happened because they want to work as a parking attendant or earn money,' said Lutfi, who was rescued by others at the parking lot who intervened and took him to the hospital. He was left with a scar on his head from the attack. POLICE PATROLS AND OTHER MEASURES Brawls among youths or students escalate when enforcement is lax, said Ichsan. For years, no real solution has been introduced to eradicate the violence, but several authorities have recently vowed to tackle the problem. Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Arifah Fauzi said the brawling children in Depok were victims of an inadequate system, and her ministry would ensure they undergo mentoring. 'All Indonesian children are our children who should be in a safe environment … We all certainly agree that brawls involving elementary school-aged children are a violation of the basic principles of child protection,' said Arifah on May 12. Following the incident, the students, their parents, teachers and the police met at one of the schools on May 15. The students signed a statement saying they would not take part in brawls again. Taking a religious and cultural approach is Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung, who wants to introduce a programme called Manggarai Bershalawat, which means 'Manggarai praying for blessings'. "People who are fighting, having disagreements, must have a reason. What is the main cause? The main cause must be sought,' said Pramono last Friday (May 23) during a prayer session where he also launched the programme in Manggarai. 'One of them is that the youth's energy here is not being channelled properly. There are no sports facilities,' he said, handing out badminton and futsal equipment for the sub-district's residents' use. NO SINGLE SOLUTION Experts said more needs to be done to tackle the complex problem, with Donie of Multimedia Nusantara University saying students should undergo character-building programmes. Schools can also take a clear stance against hooliganism. A Jakarta high school counselling teacher, Citra Septiya, said students at her school have not been involved in brawls since 2019 because the school is firm: Those caught will be expelled. 'Brawls can result in physical injuries to death, create trauma for victims and people around them who are affected, and tarnish the image of the school,' said Citra. Schools must thus be strict and monitor their students closely, she said. Under Indonesia's laws, especially on the use of weapons against civilians, perpetrators of brawls should also be punished, said experts. Most of the time, the law is not enforced consistently enough to create a deterrent effect, said Ichsan, the lecturer on peace and conflict resolution. A genuine commitment is needed at all levels to implement and monitor the programmes seeking to address youth brawls, he said. 'There needs to be a strong political will involving all stakeholders: The government, the police, the students, young adults, families involved and even the media.
Fox News
28-05-2025
- General
- Fox News
Jersey Shore boardwalk mayhem puts blue state's 'soft' crime approach under microscope
Print Close By Hanna Panreck Published May 28, 2025 New Jersey assemblywoman Vicky Flynn told "Fox and Friends" on Wednesday that "soft-on-crime policies" in the blue state were to blame after a series of brawls and stabbings occurred over Memorial Day weekend at a popular Jersey shore boardwalk, leading to dozens of arrests. "Over the last seven years, there have been numerous policies adopted and lack of enforcement that prevent law enforcement from taking action to prevent what's going on and what you're seeing at the shore," said Flynn, a Republican who represents Monmouth County, along the Jersey shore. "We have laws that prevented law enforcement from engaging with minors who might be caught drinking alcohol or smoking pot, just because of left-leaning type policies to allow these type of behaviors." POLICE SEEK 2 IN ASSAULT ON POPULAR EAST COAST BOARDWALK WEEKS AFTER MEMORIAL DAY CHAOS At least 73 people – 52 adults and 21 minors – were arrested in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, during the mayhem that began early Friday and ended around 6 a.m. on Monday, according to local reports. A string of brawls and stabbings erupted on the boardwalk, forcing authorities to temporarily shut down the tourist site. "We've taken a lot of action to reverse those policies, but it was that, plus even the COVID shutdowns. I think kids were not in school for long periods of time, their maturity levels were impacted, all of this together, but really, the soft-on-crime policies of our state are what led to what we're seeing right now on our boardwalks," Flynn added. Host Lawrence Jones noted that a lot of the people in the videos posted to social media were wearing masks. Flynn explained that both Houses of the New Jersey state legislature unanimously passed a bill that would have allowed law enforcement to crack down on the people instigating the brawls, which was blocked by Gov. Phil Murphy, D-N.J. "These people are coming to these areas, putting masks on, so that they can't get caught, so they're coming to these events, they're coming to the boardwalk, causing chaos, but covering their faces so they can't be caught later on through an investigation," Flynn said. Murphy conditionally vetoed the bill, citing concerns that it would infringe on First Amendment rights, according to NJ POLICE EYE ABSENT PARENTS AFTER YOUNG MOBS UPEND FAMILY-FRIENDLY VACATION HOT SPOTS Flynn called for the legislature to override the governor's veto, but said the "Trenton Democrats decided to motion my attempt to override the veto." Three young adults were stabbed in separate incidents, Seaside Heights Detective Steve Korman told local media, adding that the third stabbing prompted officials to temporarily shut down the boardwalk just after midnight on Monday. SWAT teams were on standby ahead of the weekend after a similar incident occurred during last year's long holiday weekend involving large groups of unruly juveniles, according to FOX 29 Philadelphia . CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE Jones asked Flynn if there was room for a common-sense Republican candidate in the blue state. "Absolutely, I do think Republicans, we're going to have a great year this year because of incidents like this. New Jerseyans are not dumb, especially the voters. They're going to come out strong because of these type of actions. They are sick and tired of their state being overrun by soft-on-crime type policies," Flynn said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News' Pilar Arias and Bonny Chu contributed to this report. Print Close URL
Fox News
27-05-2025
- General
- Fox News
Dozens arrested after Memorial Day violence rocks Jersey Shore boardwalk
Dozens of people were arrested after a string of brawls and stabbings involving young adults and juveniles erupted at a popular Jersey Shore boardwalk over Memorial Day weekend, forcing authorities to temporarily shut down the popular tourist site. At least 73 people – 52 adults and 21 minors – were arrested in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, during the mayhem that began early Friday and ended around 6 a.m. on Monday, local reports say, citing local police. Rep. Paul Kanitra, R-N.J., said in a social media post on Sunday that "40+ arrests have been made in just the past two days by the Seaside Heights Police Department." "Their strong leadership is cracking down," Kanitra continued. "If you go there with bad intentions, you will likely leave in handcuffs." Three young adults were stabbed in separate incidents, Seaside Heights Detective Steve Korman told local media, adding that the third stabbing prompted officials to temporarily shut down the boardwalk just after midnight on Monday. SWAT teams were on standby ahead of the weekend after a similar incident occurred during last year's long holiday weekend involving large groups of unruly juveniles, according to FOX 29 Philadelphia. Despite efforts to control this year's situation with a 10 p.m. curfew for minors and increased police presence, dozens of teens and young adults flooded the area and engaged in violent altercations near the boardwalk, the local station reported. "We call them gangs," visitor Michele Benangus said to FOX 29. "I don't know what they are, just groups of kids, some tougher than others, and we've seen them pushing and stuff." Kanitra blamed the surge in teen violence on the state's "lax" crime laws. "Seaside Heights, one of the great towns in the 10th Legislative District, continues to deal with the repercussions of New Jersey's lax on crime policies," Kanitra said. "But they aren't taking this sitting down. There is now a strict curfew in place to deal with the juveniles who have increasingly become more and more emboldened as a result of our weak Attorney General." The office of New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin and Seaside Heights Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
