Questioning The Fate of Laborer and Papua in Yogyakarta

A participant ran while spreading a T-shirt with the Morning Star flag on it

The police and the participants pushed each other

 

The police pushed the participants

Attributes of the participants lay on the asphalt as a result of the pushing between the police and the participants

Participants in the action hold hands. One of them could be seen looking at the bracelet with the nuances of the Morning Star flag

One of the participants gave a speech in the mass circle

Participants unfurled banners to commemorate 56 years of the annexation of Papua

That afternoon (01-05), the Papuan student dormitory was surrounded by police. The Kusumanegara road section is also closed about eight hundred meters to one kilometer to the west and east. At first, they were about to march towards Titik Nol to celebrate international labor day as well as to question the annexation of Papua 56 years ago. However, they did not leave quickly because they were not allowed by the police. The orator’s voice continued to float in the afternoon air. The tough debate between the participants and the police resulted in disputes, and pushing each other was inevitable. After a few moments of pushing each other, the participants withdrew into the dormitory. The police had chased up to the fence. Not long after, stones and many other objects floated out of the dorm. Police and journalists scrambled for protection. After that, the dispute between the two parties began to subside.

At around 1 PM, the participants out of the dormitory and returned to form a line while holding hands. They tried again to break through the police barricade by rushed forward and also widening the circle. As a result, pushing each other between the police and the participants was unavoidable. However, they still failed to make long marches.

After pushing each other, several participants continued to give speeches in turn. The chants of “Papua Bukan Merah Putih” (Papua is not Red and White) also kept on sang in every moment. The police, feeling pissed off, then brought a car with a large loudspeaker. The police tried to persuade them to give speeches at Tugu. However, the participants still didn’t move. Their forms of action are even more varied. They burned flares, wrote down the names of the policemen there on the asphalt, danced, ran and spinning while singing. “Papua Bukan Merah Putih” (Papua is not Red and White) plus a series of songs criticizing the apparatus were getting louder.

These conditions haven’t changed in a few hours. Toward evening, an orator brought a piece of paper containing the demands and read them out. Some of these demands are regarding the fulfillment of labor rights, realizing free and people-oriented education and granting the right to determine the fate of the Papuan. After reading the demands, the participants withdrew into the dormitory and the police also dispersed.

Photographer and Author: Fata Nur Fauzi
Curator: Arjun Subarkah
Editor: Oktaria Asmarani