Surabaya Menggugat Alliance Protests, Voices Eight Demands
A mass of people calling themselves the Surabaya Menggugat Alliance held a protest in front of the Grahadi State Building in Surabaya on Monday (15/6). The action was staged as a protest against a number of government policies deemed detrimental to the public.
According to CNNIndonesia.com’s observations at the scene, the mostly casually dressed crowd unfurled protest posters and banners. They also took turns delivering speeches.
‘This country has a chronic disease: impunity, oligarchy, corruption, and the kidnapping of activists,’ one orator said through a loudspeaker.
Field coordinator for the Surabaya People’s Action, Muhammad Ichsan Aditya, stated that the protest carried eight main demands in response to several laws recently passed by the government and the House of Representatives (DPR).
‘This is our response from the Surabaya People’s Alliance to bring the eight most crucial demands, which are our reaction today to the reckless passing of the Police Law and the 2025 TNI Law, which has become a red carpet for increasingly widespread and massive militarism practices,’ Adit said.
Beyond highlighting the ratification of the Police Law and the TNI Law, the protesters also criticised the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme and the Kopdes Merah Putih village cooperative programme. Ichsan assessed that these programmes were executed without mature planning and without adequate academic studies, thus burdening the state budget.
‘The MBG programme, we recall, has inflated the state budget in the education sector and other important aspects, which certainly inflates the rights of the people,’ he stated.
The protest was also a response to the national economic condition, which Ichsan described as increasingly alarming. He highlighted the weakening of the rupiah exchange rate against the US dollar, which is approaching Rp18,000, with the potential for further weakening according to predictions by several economists.
Adit added that the situation is exacerbated by the trend of rising fuel prices (BBM). He assessed that a crisis could occur across various sectors due to all these factors.
‘Given these conditions, we are seeing fuel price increases and so on, which means going forward we cannot imagine when our stocks run out and so forth. A crisis could certainly occur in all sectors, starting from the economy, due to the budget wastefulness carried out by the government,’ he said.
On another note, Ichsan also highlighted human rights issues, which he believes are far from being resolved. He mentioned several cases of gross human rights violations that have yet to see justice.
‘Today we are still witnessing gross human rights violations that have not been brought to justice,’ he said.
The Surabaya Menggugat Alliance also highlighted the impact of militarism practices on indigenous communities. Ichsan stated that the rights of indigenous peoples to their land and natural resources are increasingly threatened by exploitation occurring under the administration of President Prabowo Subianto.
‘The issue we are bringing up is that through these militarism practices, the rights of indigenous peoples to their nature, and also the exploitation of nature carried out by the Prabowo administration,’ he said.
Adit stressed that his party is urging the DPR to revoke a number of laws that were passed hastily. He also demanded that the government immediately carry out reforms within the National Police, particularly regarding the alleged criminalisation of activists.
‘We expect a commitment from the government regarding the current economic situation. We demand the DPR revoke, and the government issue regulations on, the laws passed recklessly, as well as demand action on what the police have done, from the criminalisation of activists to the police reform we are hoping for,’ he said.
Adit explained that today’s activity is the opening act of the Surabaya people’s movement, which will continue with larger-scale actions in the future.
‘This is part of our response, the response of the people of Surabaya in the Surabaya people’s movement. We hope there will be more massive actions in the future. Today may serve as an opener for more massive actions to come,’ he said.
He confirmed that the protest was conducted peacefully and in a conducive manner. The crowd filled the event with speeches, poetry readings, and theatrical performances.
The action was not only attended by students, academics, workers, or other civil society elements. Street vendors, online motorcycle taxi drivers, and street hawkers also participated.
‘Please don’t discriminate against the poor. We also want prosperity and justice, so I, selling from a cart like this, I prove I can do it. Please, if the government sees me, please don’t raise fuel prices, lower them instead. We beg you earnestly, don’t be like this, sir,’ said Ike Wijayanti (40), a mobile coffee seller who also gave a speech.
The following are the eight demands of the Surabaya People’s Action:
Revoke the 2026 Police Law
Revoke the 2025 TNI Law
Return the Military to the Barracks
Stop the Free Nutritious Meal Programme
Stop the Kopdes Merah Putih Programme
Lower Fuel Prices
Stabilise the Rupiah Exchange Rate
Stop the Exploitation of Nature