The Masses Reject The Work Creation Law By Lighting Candles And Praying Together Before Disbanding

Gebrak Demo at Central Jakarta Horse Statue area, Tuesday 10 November (Wardhany Tsa Tsia / VOI)

JAKARTA - The mass of the Labor Movement with the People (Gebrak) finally dispersed from the area of the Arjuna Wiwaha Horse Statue, Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta.

They had previously planned to hold an action until 20.00 WIB, but the police asked the masses to immediately disperse and the negotiations to cancel reaching an agreement.

"Thank you to fellow workers and students for carrying out the action peacefully. Now we are returning to our homes," the police officer said aloud from behind the barbed fence.

Before disbanding, the protesters lit candles and prayed together led by a number of religious leaders.

They also had time to read out their statement of attitude. The statements of attitude they read were as follows:

To coincide with Heroes' Day on November 10, 2020, the Labor Movement with the People so that students, unemployed, women, farmers, the people, fishermen of indigenous peoples, laborers, the urban poor should continue to side with the oppressed groups, not the rulers and do:

1. Civil disobedience to the Omnibus Law scandal. We must ignore this law even though it has been passed and urge the President of the Republic of Indonesia to revoke it

2. Take action to the streets voicing the repeal of the Omnibus Law Law to exert political pressure on the regime and the state so that the president issues a Perppu as a sign of the revocation and cancellation of the Omnibus Law Cipta Kerja.

3. Build a united national grassroots people's movement to strengthen, assist, and protect them against the anger of the authorities or thugs in power.

Demonstration at the Horse Statue in Central Jakarta, Tuesday 10 November (Wardhany Tsa Tsia / VOI)

In addition, they also recited the oppressed people's oath that was read some time ago. The following is the contents of the oath:

1. With all our awareness, we oppressed people uphold unity, unity in the name of upholding justice.

2. With all our courage, we, the oppressed people, swear to call for resistance, resistance to the corruption of power.

3. With full conviction, we oppressed people swear that we will continue to fight, to fight for the elimination of arbitrariness.

After reading out their statement of attitude, the Gebrak crowd then dispersed at around 18.45 WIB. While peacefully disbanding, they sang the song Internasionale and Peasant Workers.