Muslimin Emba, Makassar – On Thursday May 1, labour groups began to throng into the fly over area at the intersection of Jalan AP Pettarani and Arip Sumoharjo in Panakkukang sub-district, Makassar city, South Sulawesi. They were holding a demonstration to commemorate International Labour Day.
According to Tribun Timur's observations at the location, the protesters came from the Nusantara Trade Union Confederation (KSN) led by Mukhtar Guntur Kilat.
They took turns giving speeches to articulate the workers' struggle on this year's May Day in speeches that were given loudly from on top of a container truck.
In addition, the protesters also unfurled banners that covered the body of the road. Only one lane of cars and motorcycles were allowed to pass.
"Today we take up the theme 'Indonesian Emergency: Working People Move to Destroy the Oligarchy of the Capitalist Political Economy'", said Kilat from the container truck.
The KSN action was watched over by police in full uniform and officers in civilian clothing. In total there were 1,300 personnel involved in safeguarding the labour demonstrations in the fly over area and the South Sulawesi Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) which is only about 100 meters away.
Fight militarism, destroy capitalism
Later in the afternoon after the workers had moved off to the DPRD, thousands of students also packed into the flyover area to voice their aspirations on May Day and took turns in giving speeches on the labour struggle.
Those present were from various student groups, one of which held a long-march from the Makassar State University (UNM) on Jalan AP Pettarani.
"We need to know that the labour struggle has succeeded in reducing working hours from 18 hours to eight working hours", said one of the speakers. "So don't assume that the workers' struggle in the streets has not produce results", they continued.
The action participants also unfurled banners and posters, one of which read "Build the Unity of a People's Opposition, Fight militarism, Destroy Capitalism!".
In addition to giving speeches, the protesters also read out poems of struggle while setting fire to tires.
The Makassar flyover area has been packed with protesters from the KSN since noon and vehicles were no longer able to pass through Jalan AP Pettarani in the direction of the flyover and the police seemed unable to do much due to the large number of demonstrators.
After giving speeches under the flyover earlier, the KSN demonstrators moved off to the South Sulawesi DPRD office along with workers from the Confederation of the All-Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPSI).
The KSPSI demonstrators packed the South Sulawesi DPRD, banging on the fence of the people's representative offices before finally being met by the DPRD Speaker Andi Rachmatika Dewi.
[Slightly abridged translation by James Balowski based on two articles by Tribun News on May 1. The original title of the lead article was "Demo Hari Buruh, Konfederasi Serikat Nusantara: Hancurkan Oligarki Ekonomi Politik Kapitalisme".]
