Peaceful demonstrations took place across Indonesia on Friday, as students voiced concerns about lawmakers' benefits and called for dialogue, coinciding with celebrations for the Prophet Mohammad’s birthday.
Students gathered outside Indonesia’s parliament in Jakarta on Friday afternoon for what was described as a “picnic protest”, marking a shift in tone following more than a week of sometimes tense demonstrations.
With poetry readings, book discussions and speeches, participants used creative expression to raise their concerns. They called for the release of previously detained protesters and discussed the role of military personnel in civil security tasks.
"We have a picnic together, show our expression creatively, innovatively ... we don't just shout angrily, but we have a cool, creative approach to express our anger," said Vincent Thomas, a student leader from Padjadjaran University, in a speech broadcast by Kompas TV.
Jakarta police spokesperson Ade Ary Syam Indradi said 1,371 personnel, including police and military members, were deployed to ensure public safety during Friday’s events.
In the city of Solo, central Java, students engaged in similar peaceful activities, distributing groceries and offering free health screenings, Kompas reported.
The demonstrations follow earlier rallies last week, where participants including students, labour groups and civil society organisations raised concerns about members of parliament’s housing allowances. Protests gained momentum after a motorcycle taxi driver died in a traffic incident involving a police vehicle.
On Thursday, student groups met with cabinet ministers to present their views. They had also held earlier meetings with some parliamentarians. A request for a direct meeting with President Prabowo Subianto has not yet been granted.
According to Human Rights Watch, a New York-based organisation, more than 3,000 people have been detained during the recent protests. The group also reported that 10 people had died and over 1,000 were injured in connection with various incidents across the country.
Authorities have not yet responded publicly to the latest student requests, but the demonstrations have remained peaceful. Discussions between student groups and officials are expected to continue.
Saudi Arabia’s air defences have intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone over the Riyadh region, according to the Saudi-led coalition fight...
Police were deployed across Paris on Saturday, as a curfew was set to take effect in the Republique and Chât...
A drone strike hit a power station in northern Sudan early Sunday (1 November), sparking a fire and triggering loud explosions, witnesses said....
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
A hacking group linked to North Korea is widely believed to be behind the theft of $6.3 billion from cryptocurrency giant Binance, a cyberattack that experts describe as the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education and living costs. Violence erupted in Frankfurt, where shops were looted and police reported Molotov cocktail attacks.
A tenth-grade student was critically injured after a man attacked her with a chainsaw inside a classroom in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district. The girl suffered severe injuries to her head, neck and back, while a classmate who tried to protect her was also hurt.
Police were deployed across Paris on Saturday, as a curfew was set to take effect in the Republique and Châtelet-Les Halles areas from 11pm Saturday until 6am Sunday (1 November).
A drone strike hit a power station in northern Sudan early Sunday (1 November), sparking a fire and triggering loud explosions, witnesses said.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education and living costs. Violence erupted in Frankfurt, where shops were looted and police reported Molotov cocktail attacks.
Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations on Sunday, (1 November), and classified the country's foreign intelligence agency, MI6, as a hostile group, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Thousands protested in Albania's capital, Tirana, on Saturday (31 October), demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation over perceived corruption allegations and dissatisfaction with the government over a lack of jobs and poor education standards.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment