Singapore Airlines has said it is closing its ticketing office in Jakarta temporarily due to the chaos created by anti-Ahok rally. "We want to ensure that the staff who pass by or live around the rally area can return home safely," Glory Henriette, SIA Indonesia public relations manager told The Jakarta Post.
Muslim hardliners organised a rally against Jakarta's Chinese Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who is popularly known as Ahok, for allegedly misquoting a verse from the Quran during one of his speeches in September.
Gangs of jihadists were seen torching police cars and attacking officers late on Friday. The police had to fire tear gas, water cannon and truncheons into thousands of rioting protesters to bring the situation under control.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has condemned the riot and urged the protesters to return to their houses.
The ticketing office is located at the Menara Kadin Indonesia building in South Jakarta. It has been temporarily closed since 12:30 p.m. but it is expected to operate as usual on Saturday.
The authorities said in case of urgent servicing matters, customers are requested to contact Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at 021 550 7130 or visit the official website of the company.
