“Picnic” Protest Outside Indonesian Parliament Follows Violent Unrest

“Picnic” Protest Outside Indonesian Parliament Follows Violent Unrest
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Following more than a week of deadly anti-government protests, demonstrators in Jakarta staged a peaceful “picnic protest” outside the Indonesian parliament on a national holiday, Friday, Reuters reported.

This creative demonstration, which included poetry and book readings, was a shift in approach after earlier protests had turned violent, resulting in at least 10 deaths and a police crackdown.

The protests, which began in late August, were initially sparked by public outrage over a new monthly housing allowance for lawmakers, which was nearly 10 times the minimum wage. The unrest escalated after a police vehicle fatally struck a motorcycle taxi driver during a demonstration, leading to widespread anger and riots. The violence prompted President Prabowo Subianto’s government to agree to scrap the controversial allowances and impose a moratorium on non-essential overseas travel for lawmakers.

Protest organizers, primarily student leaders, presented the government with a list of demands, including higher wages for workers, greater budget transparency, and the release of detained protesters. The peaceful “picnic protest” on the national holiday marked a change in tactics, with students opting for a more “cool, creative approach to express our anger,” as one student leader put it. While some demands have been met, such as the scrapping of the lawmaker perks, the peaceful protest highlights the ongoing public desire for broader reforms and accountability.