Hundreds of women dressed in pink and carrying broomsticks gathered outside Indonesia’s parliament on Wednesday, demanding an end to police abuses and calling out wasteful government spending, as protests across the country entered their second week. The demonstration, organised by the Indonesian Women’s Alliance (IWA), came amid mounting unrest sparked by the death of motorcycle taxi driver Affan Kurniawan, who was run over by a police vehicle on August 28. His killing ignited anger over low wages, rising taxes, and lavish perks for members of parliament, triggering nationwide rallies that have so far claimed at least ten lives.
The protests have grown in size and intensity, with demonstrators in Jakarta and other cities clashing with police who have deployed tear gas and rubber bullets. In Bandung, confrontations near universities earlier this week pushed the death toll higher and deepened frustration with heavy-handed state responses. The United Nations human rights office has urged Indonesian authorities to conduct “prompt, thorough, and transparent investigations” into allegations of excessive force, while Amnesty International Indonesia has warned that the government must address protesters’ demands immediately to prevent further casualties.
At Wednesday’s rally in the capital, the IWA — a coalition of 90 women’s groups, civil society organisations, unions and indigenous movements — called on President Prabowo Subianto to withdraw troops from civilian security operations and to end what they described as the criminalisation of dissent. Protest leaders demanded the resignation of National Police Chief Listyo Sigit and the release of those detained without charge, while insisting that the military should return to the barracks. The group’s decision to wear pink symbolised bravery, while many others chose green, the colour of Affan’s rideshare company uniform, to show solidarity. Online, the two colours have become symbols of the movement, nicknamed “brave pink” and “hero green,” with supporters changing their profile pictures to match.
The rallies have also drawn attention to President Prabowo himself, who initially cancelled a planned trip to Beijing for China’s military parade in order to focus on the unrest, but was later seen posing for a photograph alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The images have sparked criticism at home, fuelling perceptions of detachment from domestic realities.
Women have long played a decisive role in Indonesia’s political struggles, from resisting authoritarianism under Suharto in the lead-up to the 1998 reform movement to driving grassroots activism today. For many, this week’s march recalled that legacy, with broomsticks raised as a symbol of sweeping away corruption and state violence. As protests show no sign of slowing, demonstrators continue to press for accountability, economic justice and the right to protest without intimidation — underscoring a new chapter in Indonesia’s turbulent democratic journey.
