Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Hundreds of workers are staging a protest at Medan Merdeka Selatan street, Gambir, Central Jakarta, on Thursday, September 4, 2025.
The workers, who are part of the "Workers with the People Movement," or Gebrak, embarked on a long march from the International Labor Organization (ILO) office on M.H. Thamrin street, Menteng, Central Jakarta.
The workers' long march was closely guarded by the police. When the demonstrators started to gather in front of the ILO office at around 12:30 p.m. Jakarta time, the police were already on standby. The police also redirected traffic as the workers marched.
The protesters initially planned to walk along M.H. Thamrin street to stage a rally near the Arjuna Wijaya Statue, 1 kilometer away from the Presidential Palace. However, the police redirected their route to Kebon Sirih street on the east side of M.H. Thamrin street.
The workers marched to Medan Merdeka Selatan street, where the police had set up barricades at the end of the road before the area around the Arjuna Wijaya Statue. The demonstration finally took place in front of the police line. Until 3:00 p.m., the workers were still making speeches, shouting slogans, and even performing music at the location.
Near the horse statue, joint personnel of the police and TNI soldiers are seen standing guard. Several TNI-owned armored vehicles were parked there. Police mobile brigade motorcycles and tactical vehicles were also on standby.
Some of these vehicles had been at the location since the demonstrations and riots last week. At that time, the TNI and the police ramped up security in several strategic areas following the riots that occurred in various regions.
The Gebrak Alliance raised five primary demands for the protest, one of which is to halt repressive actions against protesters.
They also asked the government to reduce the tax rates for the low-income population, lower the prices of basic needs, and pass the Asset Forfeiture Bill.
The series of demonstrations in Jakarta and various other regions in the country have continued since they began on Monday, August 25 last week. At that time, the demonstrators demanded the cancellation of the exorbitant allowances for lawmakers amidst economic hardships suffered by the ordinary citizens.
The protests escalated after a ride-share driver, Affan Kurniawan, was killed by a police vehicle on Thursday, August 28. At least 10 people have died in the demonstrations that took place in various cities until early September.
On Sunday, August 31, Prabowo, after meeting with the party leaders, decided to withdraw housing allowances for DPR members and impose a moratorium on overseas working trips.
– Dian Rahma Fika contributed to the writing of this article.