“It was like a war,” Achmad, a local, said on Thursday.

Hundreds of Banyuwangi police officers were deployed to calm the rioting. Officers opened fire on the protestors after part of the crowd began setting houses alight and destroying motorcycles owned by Bumi Sukesindo.

Locals reported five people were injured by police fire, although police maintain only two were harmed.

“From what the officers have told me, there are only two locals [hurt by the shots], but I am still checking the real situation at the scene,” Adj. Sr. Comr. Bastoni Purnama said.

“There were only 400 officers deployed in the riots, completely outnumbered by the mass — thousands of them,” he said.

He also claimed that police “had no choice” but to use guns as the company’s assets, due to Bumi Sukesindo’s status as a legal mining company, are considered local assets and must be protected.

All injured protestors, including three allegedly assaulted by police, are receiving medical treatment