Farmers and Traders Rally in Central Jakarta to Support Prabowo's Policies

The Merdeka Farmers Group and the Indonesian Market Traders Association (APPSI) held a rally at the Patung Kuda area in Central Jakarta to show their support for President Prabowo Subianto. Masses conducted a long march along Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan from 08.00 WIB before gathering near the Patung Kuda to voice their orations. Don Muzakir, Chairman of the DPN Tani Merdeka, stated that approximately 7,000 participants from the Greater Jakarta area and eight regencies/cities, comprising farmers and traders, joined the action. He said the farmers have benefited from programmes initiated by Prabowo, while traders have experienced market price stability. Muzakir noted that farmers and traders have seen their economic conditions and incomes improve due to the government’s pricing policies for unhusked rice and corn, as well as the absorption of their harvests by the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. He explained that the MBG programme is interconnected with agriculture, leading to the absorption of harvests that previously struggled to find a market, such as cabbages, and also benefiting the livestock, fruit, and plantation sectors. Muzakir emphasised that the action was purely to support Prabowo and denied it was a counter-protest, stating that they were not there to condemn anyone but to peacefully inform the public, especially those who never visit villages. The rally caused the closure of Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan from the Patung Kuda towards Tugu Tani, with traffic diverted to Jalan MH Thamrin.