Jakarta, IndonesiaSentinel.com — Thousands of workers, students, and various community groups gathered to stage a demonstration in front of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) and People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) building in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, On Thursday, August 22, 2024.
The protesters began arriving early in the morning, with workers making up the majority of the crowd, accompanied by banners, flags, and homemade cardboard signs. A command vehicle for the protest was also prominently stationed in front of the DPR/MPR building.
The demonstrators, largely representing labor unions, were joined by a significant number of students, united in their demand that the DPR uphold the Constitutional Court’s (MK) ruling on the 2024 regional election threshold.
They were calling on the lawmakers to refrain from annulling the court’s decision regarding the electoral threshold for nominating regional leaders.
Protesters streamed in from the direction of Slipi toward the DPR/MPR building. Despite the growing number of demonstrators, traffic on Gatot Subroto Road, particularly from Semanggi towards Slipi, had not yet been closed, though congestion was evident as vehicles could only pass through the busway lane.
Notably, several Indonesian comedians joined the protest in solidarity with the workers and students. Ananta Rispo, one of the comedians, emphasized the importance of protecting the MK’s ruling, stating, “We are here to ensure that the Constitutional Court’s decision is not tampered with.”
He added that the presence of thousands of protesters outside the DPR should make the lawmakers realize that the public does not want the MK’s decision on the 2024 election threshold to be undermined. Rispo criticized the DPR for even considering the annulment, calling it a joke at the expense of the people’s will.
As of the latest reports, more workers continued to arrive at the DPR/MPR building to join the protest. Traffic around the area remained heavy, with vehicles confined to the busway lane due to the influx of demonstrators.
Protesters were seen waving labor union flags as well as the Indonesian national flag. At one point, the crowd collectively sang the national anthem, “Indonesia Raya,” in front of the DPR building, demonstrating their patriotic spirit.
BREAKING NEWS: Indonesian Parliament Delays Pilkada Bill Approval
The demonstration follows the DPR’s failure to pass the regional election (Pilkada) bill during a plenary session earlier that day due to a lack of quorum.
According to Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, Deputy Speaker of the DPR who presided over the session, only 89 out of the required members were present, while 87 others were absent with permission.
“Therefore, we will reschedule the plenary session because the quorum was not met,” Dasco said while striking the gavel.
The plenary session had been scheduled to ratify the Pilkada bill into law following its approval at the committee level by the DPR’s Legislative Body (Baleg).
(Agung)
