Hundreds of Indonesian women dressed in pink marched through Jakarta on Wednesday, spearheading renewed demonstrations against police brutality and lawmakers’ privileges.
Carrying brooms as a symbol of sweeping away corruption and repression, the protesters voiced growing anger at the government as the country faces its most turbulent unrest in years.
The rally, organised by The Alliance of Indonesian Women, a coalition of women-led civil society groups, featured placards with slogans such as “reform the police” and “your sweet promises cause diabetes.” Organisers said the broom symbolised their demand to “sweep the state’s dirt, and the repressiveness of security forces.”
The latest protests follow a police vehicle’s fatal collision with a motorcycle taxi driver last Thursday, an incident that fuelled nationwide demonstrations. Rights groups say at least 10 people have died in the unrest, which has also seen sporadic looting and rioting.
“We want to show that protests are mostly peaceful,” said Rizky Ananda, 30, one of the participants. “If the government says protests are treasonous, it should be questionable.”
President Prabowo Subianto has adopted a tougher stance, warning that security forces would act firmly. On Sunday, he suggested elements of the unrest bore “signs of terrorism and treason.” Although he initially cancelled a trip to Beijing for a military parade, his office later reinstated it, citing “signs of normalcy returning.” Critics argue his absence reflects neglect of a growing crisis at home.
The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has opened an investigation into alleged excessive force by police, commissioner Anis Hidayah confirmed on Tuesday. The United Nations has also urged Indonesia to probe “all alleged violations of international human rights law, including with respect to use of force.”
Analysts warn the unrest could escalate further unless authorities address concerns over economic inequality, government waste, and police impunity. For the women leading Wednesday’s march, the broom was more than a symbol of reform—it was a call to sweep away entrenched injustice in one of the world’s largest democracies.
