Crowds Begin Gathering at Bundaran HI for 28 October Protest
Several student groups from the Committee to Save the Sovereignty of the People (SADAR) began arriving on Sudirman Street towards the Bundaran Hotel Indonesia (HI) area on Wednesday afternoon (28 October).
CNNIndonesia.com observed that they were held up in front of the UOB Building and could not proceed to Bundaran HI, the site of the protest.
The students were not wearing their respective university jackets, but carried their universities’ banners.
At Bundaran HI, demonstrators from universities across Indonesia, including Padjadjaran University and the University of Indonesia, had gathered.
They arrived at Bundaran HI by public minibus at around 14:26 local time. Other groups also came from the direction of the Pullman building.
On reaching the area, they walked straight to the pool, making speeches as they moved around it.
They carried posters and banners bearing their demands. The crowd continued to grow, according to observations up to 15:02.
Meanwhile, thousands of police and military personnel were seen on duty, preventing demonstrators from moving closer to Bundaran HI.
The protest at Bundaran HI put forward five demands to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka. These concerned declaring a national disaster status, ensuring the state budget serves the people, reducing education costs, eradicating corruption, collusion and nepotism, and ending the militarisation of civilian spaces.
At Patung Kuda, a group with a command vehicle arrived outside the Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) building near the monument in Jakarta.
CNNIndonesia.com observed one command vehicle and around 25 demonstrators there at about 13:10. By 14:40, the vehicle had left the site.
In front of the parliamentary complex, a dozen women belonging to the Indonesian National Women’s Coalition (KNPRI) set up a post on Wednesday afternoon, asking the House of Representatives to follow up on the Constitutional Court’s ruling concerning the controversy over Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming’s diploma.
The women also opened a public complaints post for people who had found alleged irregularities in the diplomas of members of the House.
During the protest, they held up a banner asking passing motorists to sound their horns if they wanted Vice-President Gibran impeached. They also said they had sent the House a request for a hearing on the proposal.
“And God willing, we have been promised a meeting inside,” said protest coordinator Merry Samiri.
The Metro Jaya Police asked all members of the public to work together to protect public facilities and spaces.
Police also stressed the importance of mutual respect and maintaining order, so that people could express their views safely and peacefully while other residents continued with their daily activities.
Metro Jaya Police public relations chief Senior Commissioner Budi Hermanto said public spaces were shared places used for various purposes, including expressing aspirations, working, studying and carrying out everyday activities. All parties, he said, should protect these spaces and respect one another’s rights.
“Public spaces belong to all of us. Some people express their views, while others work, study and carry out their daily activities. Everyone has rights that we need to respect,” Budi said in a written statement on Tuesday.
Budi said protecting public facilities was a shared responsibility because they were directly connected to people’s needs.