Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – The All-Indonesia Student Executive Board (BEM SI) for Jabodetabek-Banten is currently deliberating the next course of action following a week of protests for the 17+8 people's demands.
The Chair of BEM SI for Jabodetabek-Banten, Muhammad Afif Rahreza, stated that he and campus representatives are still discussing the next steps. "We will consolidate first, and then decide on the next steps," Afif said in a written message on Sunday, September 7, 2025.
Similar discussions are also taking place at the University of Indonesia Student Executive Board (BEM UI). Zayyid Sulthan Rahman, the yellow faction BEM UI chair, mentioned that BEM UI is also contemplating the next steps following the major demonstration at the end of August.
Previously, a series of protests began on August 25, 2025. The demands in the demonstration initially centered around rejecting the parliamentary members' allowances and opposing the government's anti-people policies.
The demonstrations escalated further after a fatal incident during a labor protest on August 28, 2025. A police tactical vehicle ran over an online motorcycle taxi driver, Affan Kurniawan, who was delivering an order in the Tanah Abang area of Central Jakarta.
Subsequently, the demonstrations continued to escalate and spread to other regions in Indonesia. The wave of protests became unstoppable, and public anger continued to grow, extending the demonstrations to the following days.
On Wednesday, September 3, 2025, hundreds of women also took to the streets in front of the parliament building carrying banners with the inscription "17+8 People's Demands."
The movement gained massive traction on social media. The pink and green colors were also adopted as symbols of the movement. The pink color symbolized the courage of a mother who voiced the truth during the protest. The mother was wearing a pink headscarf. The green color represented the struggle of the motorcycle taxi drivers who died in the brimob vehicle crush.
The 17+8 demands have now become the focus of all demonstrators. Students, workers, and civilian communities are waiting for the government, parliament, police force, and military to meet their demands.
Among the demands, there are 17 points with a deadline of September 5 for the government to fulfill. Meanwhile, the other 8 demands have a deadline of one year.
– Novali Panji Nugroho contributed to the writing of this article