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Surakarta halts restaurant's operations after vigilante raid
Jakarta Post - December 22, 2016
The restaurant was raided because it was accused by the group of violating regulations for operational hours and sometimes providing striptease dances.
The Surakarta and Central Java police have investigated the raid and arrested seven men for allegedly damaging the restaurant.
"The Central Java Police have investigated the vandalism case. I asked the administration to close the operations of [Social] Kitchen until the legal process ends," Surakarta Mayor FX Hadi "Rudy" Rudyatmo said Wednesday.
Rudy said they had yet to decide whether or not to revoke the permit altogether because his office wanted to investigate the restaurant's alleged violations.
Rudy expressed disappointment in the raid, destruction and violence by the group and said the raid was connected to the authority of the state apparatus.
There has been an indication that Social Kitchen violated its permit by offering striptease dances, with the restaurant sometimes becoming crowded after 1 a.m.
An employee at the restaurant confirmed they provided striptease dances but not regularly. "Once or twice a week. But when the raid happened on Sunday, we didn't have it," Wisnu Setyawan said.
Surakarta Public Order Agency head Sutarjo said the restaurant and his office had been having a cat and mouse situation regarding the "erotic dance". He said his office had sent a third warning regarding the nighttime entertainment. The restaurant, meanwhile, has the license to sell alcoholic beverages. (evi)
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