Indonesian Women in Pink Lead Protests Against Police Brutality

Hundreds of Indonesian women dressed in pink took to the streets of Jakarta on Wednesday, leading a fresh wave of demonstrations against police brutality and lawmakers’ privileges. 

Wielding brooms as a symbol of sweeping away corruption and repression, the women underscored growing anger against the government as the nation confronts its most turbulent protests in years.

The demonstrators, organised  by The Alliance of Indonesian Women a coalition of women-led civil society groups carried placards with pointed slogans such as “reform the police” and “your sweet promises cause diabetes.” Protest organisers said the brooms symbolised a demand to “sweep the state’s dirt, and the repressiveness of security forces.”

The protests, which erupted in Jakarta last week, intensified nationwide after a police vehicle fatally struck a motorcycle taxi driver on Thursday night. Rights groups say at least 10 people have died in the unrest, which has also been marred by sporadic looting and rioting.

Organisers emphasised that the women’s march was designed to demonstrate peaceful resistance after authorities accused protesters of treason. “We want to show that protests are mostly peaceful,” said 30-year-old Rizky Ananda, who joined the march to oppose violence against civilians, wasteful government spending, and gender-based abuse. “If the government said protests were treasonous, it should be questionable.”

Authorities, however, have taken a harder line. President Prabowo Subianto, speaking before his departure for a military parade in China, warned that the security forces would remain firm. On Sunday, he suggested that elements of the unrest bore “the signs of terrorism and treason.”

Prabowo initially cancelled his planned trip to Beijing amid the protests but later reinstated it, with his office citing “signs of normalcy returning” as justification for his absence. His departure, however, has drawn criticism from rights groups and opposition leaders who argue that the president should be addressing the crisis at home.

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has launched an investigation into the conduct of security forces, commissioner Anis Hidayah confirmed on Tuesday, amid mounting allegations of excessive force against demonstrators.

International voices have also added to the pressure. On Monday, the United Nations’ human rights office urged Indonesia to investigate “all alleged violations of international human rights law, including with respect to use of force.”

With frustration mounting over economic inequality, perceived government waste, and police impunity, analysts warn that the unrest could escalate further unless officials address protesters’ demands. For the women marching in Jakarta, the broom has become more than a symbol of reform it is a call to sweep away entrenched injustice in the heart of one of the world’s largest democracies.

Erizia Rubyjeana 

The post Indonesian Women in Pink Lead Protests Against Police Brutality appeared first on Arise News.