Hafizh Wahyu Darmawan, Akhdi Martin Pratama, Jakarta – A number of protesters from the Student Movement with the People (Gemarak) began filing the area in front gate to the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Thursday afternoon August 21.
Kompas.com observed that the crowd began arriving at the location at around 4 pm. A command vehicle was also seen arriving at the site, along with several students wearing their alma mater uniforms.
The students were seen carrying a large banner reading "Indonesia Sold Out" (in English) in white and red, which they unfurled right in front of the gate to the DPR building.
In addition, some of the protesters carried red and white and One Piece flags. The flags were tied to the same piece of wood with the national red and white flag on top and the One Piece flag below it.
In a speech, one of the speakers highlighted how the increasingly expensive cost of education, both in state and private universities, is making access to education increasingly difficult for the public. They also expressed concern over the control of state assets by businesspeople, who are considered to be displacing the sovereignty of the people.
"Our education today is being capitalised. Every time education is capitalised, this country will no longer be in our hands. This country will gradually be in the hands of those in power, in the hands of businesspeople", said the speaker from the command vehicle.
Currently, a number of student groups are continuing to arrive at the location, including a group from the Veterans National Development University (UPN) in Jakarta.
Earlier, Central Jakarta Metro Police Chief Senior Commissioner Susatyo Purnomo Condro said that 1,145 joint personnel have been deployed to secure the demonstration in front of the DPR building.
None of the personnel on duty are equipped with firearms and security will be conducted persuasively, prioritising a humanistic approach.
"The police are not present to confront an enemy, but to serve our sisters and brothers who wish to express their opinions", Condro said in a statement on Thursday.
"Please hold your speeches in an orderly manner, do not provoke, do not resist officers, and let's avoid actions such as burning tires, blocking roads, or damaging public facilities", he added.
Condro stressed that freedom of opinion is the right of every citizen which is protected by law, but its implementation must still be carried out peacefully.
"Demonstrations should be a space to express aspirations, not an arena for chaos. Let's maintain a conducive atmosphere so that the message conveyed is well-received", he said.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Demo di DPR, Massa Bawa Spanduk "Indonesia Sold Out" dan Bendera One Piece".]
