Saturday Oct 1^st should have been a basic display of sportsmanship and talent in the world of football (soccer). In the city of Malang, Indonesia, Arema FC of East Java’s Malang faced off with Prese Baya Surabaya. The match ended in a loss for the home team, 3-2. The home team’s fans also known as “Armenia” did not take the loss well.

After the loss, fans rushed to the field in anger. Violence quickly broke out against the police on the scene, trying to do crowd control. As the crowd’s aggression grew, the officers fired off tear gas, causing panic. Thousands of spectators ran to find the exits. Outside the stadium, the violence grew, damaging at least five police vehicles. Inside, more than 125 people lost their lives by being trampled or suffocated trying to escape the burn of the tear gas.  Two officers were among those who died. Over 100 people required treatment at hospitals for critical care injuries.

The soccer league, Ligan 1, is suspended indefinitely by the Indonesia soccer association known as PSSI. Malang’s Arema team is banned from hosting matches for the remainder of the season. Police chief of East Java, Chief Nico Afinta, defends the use of tear gas on football fans, stating it is part of the training they put their officers in for situations such as these. All the actions of that day are under investigation.