TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The 'Towards Indonesia's Bankruptcy' (Menuju Indonesia Bangkrut) protest continues past dusk in the Dukuh Atas area at M.H. Thamrin Street, Central Jakarta. Around 7:00 p.m. local times, a crowd of protesters is seen despite the police blockade.
Initially, students were planning to stage a demonstration at HI Roundabout, but they were intercepted by the police in Dukuh Atas, about 500 meters from the protest site.
As the sky grows dark, protesters can be heard singing chants and revolutionary songs—such as 'Halo-halo Bandung' and 'Maju Tak Gentar'—and shouting revolutionary slogans together.
Police officers and military personnel form a barricade against them. Traffic appeared to be held up behind the crowd.
Student alliances from various universities joined the protest today, but some opted to leave as night approached, including those from the University of Indonesia Student Executive Board (BEM UI) alliance.
Nevertheless, others remained at the protest site, joined by several office workers who were just leaving their workplaces.
Zikra, one of the office workers who arrived at the protest location after office hours, said the atmosphere was still lively. "There may still be more than a thousand people," said Zikra
The BEM UI alliance arrived in front of the Thamrin Nine Ballroom at 3:10 p.m. local time after walking from Semanggi, Central Jakarta. Their buses were intercepted by police en route to HI Roundabout.
Today's rally was joined by the Student Executive Board (BEM) alliance from various universities. These include the University of Indonesia (UI), IPB University, Jakarta State Polytechnic, Pancasila University, and Gunadarma University. Besides the BEM alliance, student organizations such as the National Student Front and the progressive Student Union (Semar UI) also participated in the protest.
The students are raising five demands in today's protest: for the government to reduce what they describe as inefficient state spending; lower prices of basic commodities and fuel; halt the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program and the Red and White Village Cooperatives initiative; end military involvement in civilian affairs; and urge President Prabowo Subianto's administration to acknowledge and address policy shortcomings.
Hendrik Yaputra and Ricky Juliansyah contributed to the writing of this article.
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