After Tensions, Student Protesters Leave Yogyakarta DPRD Building
A mass of university students departed the Yogyakarta Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD) building on Friday evening following a brief period of tension during their protest. The demonstrators also affirmed they would return the following week with a significantly larger crowd.
According to detikJogja monitoring, tension arose after the crowd forced their way into the building and demanded to be met by the entire legislative body from all factions. This request was not immediately accommodated by the DPRD.
After a lengthy discussion, both parties reached a common ground. The crowd intended to enter the DPRD building to hold an audience.
“It was agreed earlier that we would come and must enter for an audience, and it was agreed by the council that we would all enter, the entire protest mass,” said Faturahman Djaguna, General Coordinator of the Yogyakarta BEM Forum and action coordinator, after the protest on Friday (19/6).
“When we moved forward to break through, we were held back and jostled, and we were detained by security. They said there must be a delegation of 50 people. After we entered again at the front door, we were held back again and told there must be a delegation of 10 people,” he continued.
The agreement reached was that the protesters would return to the DPRD the following week, and the students requested that all members of the DPRD from every faction be present to meet them.
“It was promised that on Tuesday, and we have agreed, that on Tuesday we will mobilise the masses and escalate the number of protesters to demand the fulfilment of the commitment to present all factions in the DPR,” he explained.
“This is a commitment from the DPR, and we will hold them to this promise until we meet on Tuesday with a larger escalation of the movement,” Faturahman stressed.
Secretary of the Yogyakarta DPRD, Yudi Ismono, stated that in accordance with his duties, he would convey the results of the audience to the DPRD leadership.
“I will report to the leadership that the negotiation is to resume on Tuesday and that they request all factions be present. That is the extent of my task. But everything ultimately depends on the leadership, as our political procedures and workflow are directed by the leadership,” he explained.
Earlier, detikJogja observed the student crowd arriving at the DPRD building around 2:30 p.m. Western Indonesian Time. They carried banners, flags, and a pickup truck used as a speaker’s podium.
“Today we are from the Yogyakarta BEM Forum, assisted by several other BEMs. These include Universitas Ahmad Dahlan, Universitas Jenderal Achmad Yani, and also UCY, UST, Amikom, and several other campus friends. UPY is also one of them, and there are several other allied BEMs in Yogyakarta,” Faturahman said during the protest.
The protesters brought eight demands. These included lowering fuel prices, criticism of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme and the Red and White Village Cooperatives (KDMP), and calls to revoke the TNI Law and the National Police Law.
“We reject the increase in fuel prices and highlight its impact on local communities and society at large, where we see today that the prices of basic necessities and staple goods have already risen,” Faturahman stated.
“Immediately ratify the Asset Forfeiture Bill, and also ratify the Indigenous Peoples Bill, and we demand the DPR in this case to immediately create regulations for the protection of activists, an Activist Protection Law,” he concluded.