Residents Spread 'We Choose Ganjar' Banner When Jokowi Passes, Anies: People's Aspirations Cannot Be Regulated By The State

Presidential candidate number 1 Anies Baswedan (left) answered reporters' questions during Desak and Slepet Amin at JIExpo Kemayoran, Jakarta, Monday (29/1/2024). BETWEEN PHOTOS/Hafidz Mubarak A/Spt.

Presidential candidate number 1 Anies Baswedan responded to the incident of laying banners of residents bearing the words "we chose Ganjar" when President Joko Widodo's entourage passed through Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta.

According to Anies, the attitude of residents who carried banners in a crowd near Jokowi's car group was the aspirations of the people that could not be hindered by the state.

"In my opinion, the aspirations of the people cannot be regulated by the state, the state cannot regulate feelings and thoughts and during the election they will express their feelings, aspirations," said Anies in Pamekasan, East Java, Wednesday, January 31.

On that basis, the former Governor of DKI Jakarta asked the government to respect whatever the aspirations of the people, including the support for their choice of presidential and vice presidential pairs.

"Events like that, the people want freedom to have a space for repression and they use that space to send aspirations," said Anies.

President Jokowi visited Wonosari, Gunungkidul Regency, Yogyakarta, on Tuesday, January 30. The presidential entourage had passed in front of Argosari Market and was recorded by residents and the video was shared on several social media.

In the video, it appears that the car Jokowi was traveling in stopped near a crowd of residents in front of Argosari Market.

Then, a resident approached the crowd that Jokowi allegedly approached and unfurled a banner that read "Welcome Mr. Jokowi. We're Smart, We Choose Ganjar!".

Not long after, two people believed by the authorities approached the male resident who unfurled the banner and took him away from the crowd.

Chairman of the PDI-P DPC Gunungkidul Regency Endah Subekti Kuntariningsih said the residents who brought the banner later became victims of persecution.

Two officers who were known to have banned residents from approaching and helping the victim were believed to be the perpetrators of the abuse. The victim of the persecution is said to have suffered lacerations to the nose.