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Rabat — Hundreds of women wearing pink clothing took to the streets of Indonesia’s capital on Wednesday, demanding police reform and an end to excessive government spending.
The protesters waved brooms as they marched, using the cleaning tools to symbolize their call to “sweep away the state’s dirt.”
The women carried signs reading “reform the police” and “your sweet promises cause diabetes” as they joined nationwide demonstrations that have shaken Indonesia for over a week.
The Alliance of Indonesian Women, which organized the protest, said the brooms represent the need to clean out corruption and end security force repression.
The protests began last week after a police vehicle struck and killed a motorcycle taxi driver on Thursday night. Since then, demonstrations involving students, workers and rights groups have spread across the world’s third-largest democracy.
Rights groups report that 10 people have died in the unrest, which has included some looting and rioting.
Police have responded to the protests with tear gas and rubber bullets. The Alliance had canceled a planned Monday protest, citing fears of a violent government response.
Protesters’ use of brooms want to show that protests are mostly peaceful and that the government should be questioned if it said they were treasonous.
While protesters filled Jakarta’s streets, President Prabowo Subianto attended a military parade in China today; he had initially canceled the trip due to the domestic unrest.
Prabowo has taken a hard line against the demonstrations, sayin on Sunday that the military and police will stand firm against violent crowds.
He claimed some of the unrest shows signs of terrorism and treason, making an excuse for the police’s harsh response.
‘They take advantage of us in every election’
Parliament has tried to ease tensions by meeting with student leaders, with three deputy speakers meeting with representatives from at least 10 student unions on Wednesday.
The students demand the release of detained protesters and an investigation into Prabowo’s treason allegations.
Student leaders from the University of Indonesia called for independent investigators to examine police violence during the protests. They also expressed anger over lawmakers’ benefits while ordinary Indonesians struggle with economic hardship.
“It’s as if they take advantage of us in every election… But after they won, we were forgotten,” said Agus Setiawan, head of the University of Indonesia student body.
For its part, the government has taken initiative to solve the situation and settle the unrest. Deputy Parliament Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, a senior member of Prabowo’s party, promised changes.
While pledging a revision of parliament members’ benefits, stoping overseas trips for now, and introducing reforms to increase transparency, Dasco indicated that students will get a chance to present their demands directly to the government on Thursday.
The protests represent the biggest challenge yet for Indonesia’s current administration and test the country’s democratic institutions as citizens demand accountability from their leaders.
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