The Citizens' Alliance Sues Banyumas For The Action Of Tapa Pepe Protests The Resignation Of Democracy In Indonesia

Masses of the People's Alliance Sue Banyumas Regency to take "tapape" action in Purwokerto Square, Banyumas, Wednesday (6/3/2024). ANTARA/Sumarwoto

BANYUMAS - Joint officers consisting of the TNI/Polri, the Civil Service Police Unit, and the Banyumas Regency Transportation Service, Central Java, secured the tapa pepe (medied in the hot sun) action during a demonstration by the People's Alliance against Banyumas Regency. "The number of security personnel for this demonstration is 510 people consisting of 415 Polri, 30 TNI, 35 Satpol PP, and 30 from the Transportation Service," said Head of the Operations Section of the Banyumas City Resort Police (Polresta) Kompol Agus Amjat Purnomo on the sidelines of securing the demonstration in Purwokerto Square, Banyumas Regency, Antara, Wednesday, March 6. Security activities are divided into several points, including Ring I around the Sipanji Purwokerto Pendopo complex as many as 400 joint personnel and Ring II as many as 100 personnel consisting of the Banyumas Police Traffic Unit and the Banyumas Regency Transportation Service. In addition, he said, his party also alerted Brimob Battalion D personnel if there was an increase in mass demonstrations or anarchic activities. "Meanwhile, the situation is safe, under control, and conducive to the number of participants participating in the demonstration of approximately 30 people and currently carrying out the Tapa Pepe, namely mediating in the heat of the sun and under the Red and White flag of the Purwokerto Square," said Kompol Agus Amjat. On a separate occasion, the Field Coordinator of the People's Alliance Sues Banyumas Regency Bayu Aji said the demonstration was part of a national movement held in various regions as a form of action to worry over the resignation of the democratic process in Indonesia. Although it does not involve many people, the demonstration is a form of warning to the government to organize government properly and carefully. "In a sense, we monitor as the people. We monitor where there is irregularity, there is fraud, and we are not satisfied with the election process which has already been running in 2024," he said. According to him, the demonstration was filled with Tapa Pepe which is a form of concern for the people of Banyumas who are currently in the hot sun by doing praise and remembrance. "They pray with their respective beliefs so that in the future the democratic process that has been well maintained, hopefully, it will not back down in the sense that society in the future will not be disappointed," he explained. In addition, he said, representatives of protesters would submit a petition to the Banyumas Regency DPRD to be forwarded to the DPR RI. He said the essence of the petition included rejecting the results of the 2024 General Election and supporting the use of the right to inquiry by the DPR RI. According to him, this was motivated by the democratic process in the 2024 election which was considered a failure, causing public dissatisfaction. "For example, the Sirekap process is an error, not to mention the quick count process which we think the start is too fast suddenly at 50 percent, and much more," he said. Furthermore, Bayu said the Mapa Pepe procession would last until representatives of protesters who submitted the petition were received by the Banyumas Regency DPRD. According to him, his party also carries a cone made of tiwul as a symbol of the price of rice which is currently relatively expensive. "So, today we had a tiwul party, there was a bold (singkong, ed.), and undul (ubi jajar, ed.)," he said. Meanwhile, when they were about to submit a petition, seven representatives of the protesters walked back to the Banyumas Regency DPRD Building at the Sipanji Pendopo complex, and one of them carried a triwul cone. Furthermore, the petition and the triwul cone were handed over to the Chairman of the Banyumas Regency DPRD Budhi Setiawan.

After the submission of the petition was over, the crowd who carried out the stage ended their action and then they together enjoyed the tawul and cassava and sweet potatoes around the Purwokerto Square before leaving the demonstration site.