TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The atmosphere of the 'Dark Indonesia' (Indonesia Gelap) mass action on Friday afternoon, February 21, 2025, heated up albeit rain had briefly poured over the Horse Statue area in Central Jakarta from 15:49 to 16:22 WIB (Western Indonesia Time).
The demonstration was also briefly marred by riots as some demonstrators threw firecrackers, causing explosions that prompted those nearby to scatter.
Throughout the rally, the mass action continued to sing the song 'Bayar Bayar Bayar' by the Sukatani band, which had been withdrawn from music streaming platforms due to alleged intimidation by the police.
Several protesters also handed out black-and-white "Wanted" posters featuring President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
These posters were quickly displayed by the demonstrators, who chanted and sang together amidst the lingering smoke from firecracker explosions.
The spokesperson for the Dark Indonesia rally, Tegar Afriansyah, said that today's action was attended by 2500 people.
"For this action, various elements of civil society took to the streets, including NGOs, workers, and students," he said in a brief WhatsApp message to Tempo on Friday afternoon.
The demands of the Dark Indonesia action include concerns regarding budget efficiency, a fat cabinet, the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program, and issues regarding the development of the Nusantara Capital City (IKN).
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