Putu Ayu Pratama Sugiyo, Malang – The commemoration of Labor Day in Malang, East Java, on Friday May 1 presented a different atmosphere from the usual May Day demonstrations.
Not only was it filled with speeches and demands, the mass action was enlivened by musical performances from hardcore and punk communities, who performed live directly on the streets.
The sounds of drums and distorted guitars resonated amidst the crowd. Several independent music collectives such as Hektar, Glich, DC Threat and The Reackless took turns performing, transforming the streets into an open-air stage.
One of the participating musicians, Ciwen Ilusi, stated that the event was not merely for entertainment, but served as a form of expression regarding the state of public spaces, which are perceived as becoming increasingly restricted.
"Friends from various collectives intentionally gathered for this occasion. We want to reclaim public spaces as venues for voicing aspirations. Usually we perform in enclosed venues, now we are taking it to the streets", said Ilusi on Friday.
According to Ilusi, the initiative was also driven by the difficulties encountered in the permit process for organising music events.
"The big issue is freedom of expression. Nowadays just making an event feels like it is being complicated. Therefore, we want to convey that public spaces belong to everyone", he said.
Staging musical performances amidst a demonstration was a first-time experience for these collectives. Despite this, the musicians who performed were not newcomers – rather they are integral members of Malang's alternative music community network.
The response from the rally participants was reportedly positive. The crowd of workers and students did not only welcomed the performances but also actively made room for them to take place.
"The response was extraordinary. We felt appreciated and were given space to perform, because everyone recognised that May Day belongs to people from all walks of life", said Ilusi.
All musical equipment used during the event came from collective members. They pooled their gear through a spirit of mutual cooperation, without any corporate sponsorship. "We gathered all the equipment together ourselves. This was purely from friends' solidarity," he said.
Zaki, the field coordinator for the United Awakened People's Alliance, believes that the presence of the music brought a fresh dynamic to this year's demonstrations.
"In addition to the speeches, we were also able to listen to music from our friends in the collective. This boosted our spirits during the action", said Zaki.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Musik Hardcore dan Punk Warnai Aksi Hari Buruh di Kota Malang".]
