Dozens of illegal bars and brothels along a polluted riverside strip in north Jakarta -- known locally as Kalijodo -- were reduced to rubble by excavators.
The bars -- many marked by neon beer signs and illustrations of beautiful women luring men -- were torn down by the machines in a matter of minutes, leaving behind nothing but splintered wood, brick and old mattresses.
Elsewhere police searched a three-storey hotel for any remaining residents before a digger ripped the entire structure to the ground with a spectacular crash.
"There was open prostitution there and all kinds of other things as a result, like liquor," he told AFP.
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During the eviction of residents over the past week, police seized and destroyed large quantities of alcohol.
The plan angered long-time residents and there had been fears that protesters would try to disrupt the demolition. But thousands living in the area agreed to leave in the days beforehand and the operation went smoothly.
Jakarta authorities decided to take action after a fatal car accident early this month blamed on a man who had been drinking in the riverside shanty area.
One elderly food vendor welcomed the idea of a park in the area, but another was worried the destruction of Kalijodo would hit his business.