Jakarta Rallies Split: Workers Back Prabowo as Women Protest His Policies
Hundreds of workers rallied in support of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta on November 7, while hundreds of women marched against his policies. The rallies came amid an investigation into alleged police wiretapping of the president and public anger over forest fires, government spending and women’s rights.
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In a Nutshell
- Labour Party Chair Said Iqbal led the workers’ rally, calling for unity behind Prabowo. Iqbal is also a special adviser to the president.
- According to a report by Reuters, Iqbal said he was ready to mobilise union members against threats to Prabowo’s presidency.
- The support rally took place as police investigated allegations that senior officers tried to intercept Prabowo’s communications. Police have named four senior officers as suspects, including former police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo. The allegations are under investigation.
- Civil society groups held a separate Women’s March in Jakarta. Protesters criticised the government’s handling of months-long forest fires, the cost of its free-meal programme and a tax on sanitary products.
- The march carried nine demands spanning women’s rights, economic and social protection, environmental justice and civil liberties. Participants included women workers, Indigenous people and environmental activists as reported by Reuters.
Context
The two rallies were separate events with opposing messages. The workers’ gathering expressed support for Prabowo as the wiretapping investigation widened. On the other hand, the women’s march challenged policies affecting the environment, public spending and women’s lives.
Although this is not a continuation of the student protests happening in Indonesia. But they share a backdrop as recent student protests also focused on forest fires, the free-meal programme and economic pressures.
Why It Matters
The two rallies show why support for a president is not to be confused with agreement on his policies. Workers backing Prabowo and women challenging his government both have legitimate concerns. Neither gathering speaks for all workers or all women, and their opposing messages does not reduce the debate to a choice between loyalty and dissent.
The Women’s March connects women’s rights with wider economic and environmental concerns. Taxes on sanitary products affect household costs, while forest fires and government spending raise questions about health, livelihoods and whose needs receive protection. These are not separate “women’s issues,” but questions about how policies share costs and protection. Meanwhile, the alleged wiretapping presents a separate test of institutional accountability. The investigation requires evidence and due process. Public support for Prabowo does not prove the suspects’ guilt, just as criticism of his policies does not threaten his presidency.
What We Think
Workers have every right to rally for Prabowo, just as women have every right to challenge his policies. But a presidential adviser promising to mobilise union members against threats to the presidency blurs the line between workers’ organising and political power. The government’s response to concrete criticism, not displays of support, shows whether dissent has room in public life.