Advist Khoirunikmah, Jakarta – The 'Dark Indonesia' (Indonesia Gelap) rally returned to the Horse Statue (Patung Kuda) area near the National Monument, Central Jakarta, on Friday, February 21, 2025.
Today's demonstration drew participants from diverse backgrounds, including private sector employees and students.
Genoeva (25 years old), a private sector employee from Jakarta, said she took a day off work to attend the rally today. "I'm here representing myself, coming to Patung Kuda," she said when met at the rally location on Friday, February 21, 2025.
Genoeva revealed that she had obtained direct permission from her supervisor to participate in today's rally. "I got permission from my boss. I just said I wanted to join the demonstration, and I was allowed," she said.
Her motivation for participating in today's action was to represent people who felt unable to voice their concerns, especially workers. "I want to voice the concerns of those who cannot speak out. That's why I'm here," said Genoeva.
Along with Genoeva, a recent graduate Raffi (24) expressed his concerns about the education budget's efficiency. "Although the ministry claimed there would be no cuts, it was actually reported that 90 percent of the budget was slashed by the Budget Agency," he explained at the rally.
Today's protest was also supported by the HAUS beverage company, which distributed free sweet drinks. Both Genoeva and Raffi appreciated the support of their fellow citizens.
"It feels great because we truly feel supported. Demonstrating in the afternoon and getting free drinks afterward," Genoeva shared.
The spokesperson for the Dark Indonesia action, Tegar Afriansyah, stated that today's rally was attended by 2500 people.
"For this action, various elements of civil society took to the streets, including NGOs, workers, and students," he told Tempo via a WhatsApp message on Friday afternoon.
The crowd departed from the gathering point at Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) towards Patung Kuda, Central Jakarta. "The gathering point is at TIM, and they marched towards Patung Kuda," said Tegar.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1978333/private-sector-employees-skip-work-to-join-dark-indonesia-rall