Six media outlets in North Sulawesi collaborated with the Association for Development of Indonesian Media (PPMN) in the Safe Network 2022 program. On the evening of November 5, 2022, a group of people gathered at the Secretariat of the Indonesian Cyber Media Alliance (AMSI) in the Malalayang district of Manado to celebrate a birthday when a young journalist named Adi announced that the people of Kalasey Dua were planning to hold a demonstration on Monday to protest against the displacement of land by the government. The Legal Aid Institute of Manado was to provide support for the demonstration. Several members of the community had already sent letters and held demonstrations to protest against the government’s actions.
The meeting discussed the dispute over land between the people of Kalasey Dua and the Sulawesi Utara Provincial Government. On Monday, November 7th, as predicted, clashes between police and members of the community, students, legal aid organizations, and journalists could not be avoided. Before the demonstration took place, various news outlets and journalist groups received information that a journalist had been assaulted by the police. Pictures of the journalist in a black shirt with ripped sleeves circulated online, leading to outrage from fellow journalists and activists. The journalist’s employer through the internal WhatsApp group of AJI Manado requested that the organization protest the case, leading to internal discussions within the AJI leadership. Two days later, AJI Manado decided to invite Adi to clarify what happened during the demonstration so that the organization could take a definitive position on the matter.
The security of journalists when covering events is vital and closely linked to self-defense awareness. Arifin Labenjang, a senior journalist who worked for a national television station in North Sulawesi, is an example of a journalist who faced safety concerns while on the job. During a demonstration to displace land owned by a family, Arifin was hit by a rock thrown by the community while filming the event. Peggy Sampouw, a former Manado Post journalist, was also physically assaulted for her reporting in the past. These cases highlight the dangers journalists face, including violence from the police and local communities, while covering sensitive issues.
