Workers Take To The Street, Medan Merdeka Barat Road Closure Policy

Workers hold a demonstration on Jalan Merdeka Barat, Jakarta/ Photo: Rizky Sulistio/ VOI

JAKARTA - Workers from various elements demanded the government related to the Provincial Minimum Wage (UMP) by holding a demonstration in the Horse Statue area, Gambir District, Central Jakarta, Thursday, November 25.

The demonstrators were under tight guard from the barricades of the joint security forces who were at the location first.

According to the Traffic Director of the Polda Metro Jaya Kombes Pol Sambodo Purnomo Yugo, his party closed the Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat section as the boundary between the protest location and the ring 1 area to the Merdeka Palace.

"The first one is at the Horse Statue, as usual, we will concentrate the masses here and we will barricade them from going to the Palace," said Sambodo at the Horse Statue area, Thursday, November 25.

Sambodo explained that if the number of people increased again, his party would immediately close and engineer a number of other roads around the demonstration area. One of the traffic diversions will be in the area of Jalan Kebon Sirih and Jalan Budi Kemuliaan.

"Including if they (the crowd) close the road in front of City Hall, the closure will be at the intersection of the American embassy," he said.

"This includes the one in Gambir towards the Palace, which is currently closed, namely Harmoni which is heading towards the Palace," he added.