KSPSI Explains Reasons for Monas as Centre of May Day 2026 Celebrations
President of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPSI), Andi Gani Nena Wea, has explained the reasons for selecting the National Monument area as the main epicentre for the 2026 May Day event.
He stated that Monas was chosen based on considerations of crowd capacity and flexibility, with hundreds of thousands expected to attend. “If at Gelora Bung Karno, the capacity is only 79,000, while our crowd numbers 200,000,” said Andi during a press conference on the 2026 May Day celebrations in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday, 29 April 2026.
Another consideration, he continued, is the location’s proximity to where President Prabowo Subianto resides at the State Palace in Jakarta.
According to him, Prabowo always wants to maintain closeness with workers, including shaking hands. Monas, as an open area, was selected to allow flexibility for both the president and the crowd to support each other. “At GBK, there are boundary fences and stands. It would be difficult for him to shake hands there,” said Andi.
Furthermore, he said, the selection of Monas as the central location for this year’s May Day celebrations is also the result of decisions by trade union leaders. “There is no involvement from the President,” he stated.
Previously, KSPSI and several other trade unions have scheduled the 2026 May Day celebrations at the Monas area in Central Jakarta. The event will also be attended by online motorcycle taxi drivers, with a total estimated crowd of around 400,000 people.
Head of the Government Communication Agency, Muhammad Qodari, stated that the Head of State is scheduled to attend the 2026 May Day celebrations at the Monas area in Central Jakarta.
“As a form of that commitment, President Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to attend the peak of the 2026 National Labour Day commemoration to be held at Monas, Jakarta,” said Qodari at the Bakom office in Jakarta on Wednesday, 29 April 2026, quoted from a press release.
He then stated that the government stands with the workers. “The government wants to emphasise one thing, that the government’s position is not against the workers, but stands together with the workers,” said Qodari.