Dian Rahma Fika, Jakarta – Hundreds of students from Universitas Padjajaran (Unpad) gathered at the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Central Jakarta on Friday, September 5, 2025. Dressed in dark blue blazers, they walked from the TVRI building to the main gate of the DPR, arriving around 1:30 p.m. local time. They formed a letter "U" and sat cross-legged on the ground.
"Today, we have come to the DPR building not as students, but as civilian citizens," said Vincent Thomas, Deputy Chair of the Unpad Student Executive Board (BEM).
Vincent explained that this was not a typical demonstration. Instead, the students were having a "picnic" in front of the Parliament Complex to prove that the building is a safe space for the people.
A symbolic protest
The students, who traveled from the Jatinangor campus in Bandung, West Java, chose this peaceful picnic concept to counter the criminalization, intimidation, and terror they have faced from authorities and others during previous protests.
Vincent, wearing a bright green shirt, encouraged the students to take off their blazers to emphasize that they were acting as civilians. Underneath their blazers, they wore pink tops, a color now known as "Brave Pink." The students also incorporated light green, or "Hero Green," into their picnic gear, such as seat cushions and umbrellas.
"The use of pink and green colors today reinforces civilian confidence. Friends who initially did not understand the substance of the demands finally learned and joined in," Vincent said.
Highlighting the 17+8 demands
The students emphasized that their presence was intended to demand that the government and the DPR fulfill the "17+8 People's Demands." The deadline for addressing the 17 short-term demands was Friday, September 5, 2025.
"Together we picnic and demand the 17+8 People's Demands deadline," Vincent declared.
The 17+8 demands are a summary of grievances that have circulated on social media since a wave of demonstrations on August 28, 2025. The government was given until September 5 to fulfill the first 17 points, while the remaining eight points have a one-year deadline.
During their protest, the students held up posters and even set up a reading corner with books by authors like Soe Hok Gie and titles such as Animal Farms and Laut Bercerita.