Dicky Christanto and Luh De Suriyani, Denpasar – More than 5,000 people from various occupations, religions and organizations stormed Denpasar's main thoroughfares Saturday with one goal in mind – to protest against the pornography bill, currently being deliberated by lawmakers in Jakarta.
Among the rally participants were several noted figures, including Regional Representatives Council (DPD) member GKR Hemas, who is also the wife of Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, film director Garin Nugroho and folk singer Franky Silahatua.
"We want all of you here to know that we, Yogyakartans, have also refused the porn bill deliberations as it deeply harms our pluralism. Therefore you are not alone in this struggle. Let's unite to get rid of this dangerous bill once and for all," Hemas told the participants who gathered at the Bajra Sandhi square in Renon.
"And if the lawmakers insist on passing the bill then it can have only one meaning: that they have seriously violated the country's legal system," she added.
After listening to Hemas' speech, the crowd then marched five kilometers through the city to Puputan Badung square, in front of the Denpasar mayor's office.
The participants in the rally, which was organized by the Balinese People Component (KRB), carried a red-and-white flag about 230 meters long as they cheered the speeches given by several activists during the march.
At first glance, the mass rally resembled a national independence day commemoration carnival, usually held in August in cities such as Jakarta and Surabaya.
The protesters were welcomed at the Puputan Badung square by a troupe of female dancers. Their 10-minute energetic yet sensual modern dance performance apparently managed to attract most of the participants' attention as they pushed to get to the front, near the stage, waiting for more.
After viewing the sexy dance, the crowd was entertained by a music performance by local rock band the Geekssmile, whose song lyrics criticized the government's policies.
Next was a traditional Papuan dance performed by a group of Papuan students wearing their traditional dress: koteka or penis gourd.
"Most of the performances on this stage today would be in violation of the law if the porn bill were passed, so are we supposed to agree with the bill?" student activist I Gusti Agung Jelantik asked from the stage after the Papuans had finished their dance performance.
"No way do we agree with the dangerous bill," someone from the crowd yelled in response.
"If that's so, then we agree that this rally is not our last. We will continue to protest against the bill whenever the lawmakers try to deliberate it," Jelantik said.
"We will," the crowd answered in unison.
The KRB reiterated its position that the definition of "pornography" in the bill was too vague, meaning anybody could be named a suspect and their acts deemed pornographic.
"The bill has the potential to cause disintegration because not a single tribe in the country wants to be humiliated simply because its culture is considered to be 'pornographic'," said KRB coordinator I Gusti Ngurah Harta.
Some critics have said the bill is offensive to women because it considers them simplistically as the cause of sexual lust. "So let's oppose this bill which underestimates the role of mothers and women," the KRB statement said.
A special team from the House of Representatives drafting the bill is scheduled to hold public hearings in regions that strongly oppose the bill, namely Bali, Papua and North Sulawesi, from Sunday to Tuesday. The team is in Bali on Monday.