Demonstrations Continue, Health Protocols Ignored

Street protests against the newly passed omnibus law on job creation became more widespread on Wednesday. The government has emphasized that the law will be able to provide employment opportunities.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Soldiers form a riot line as members of the Islamic Students Association (HMI) demonstrate against the Omnibus Law on Job Creation on Wednesday (7/10/2020) outside Bogor Palace in Bogor, West Java. The student protesters said that the Indonesian people had been hurt and betrayed by the omnibus law, which threatened workers’ rights even as they continued to battle the impacts of the Covid-19 health emergency.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The widespread demonstration to protest the newly passed omnibus law on job creation in a number of areas in Indonesia on Wednesday may result in the formation of new clusters of the Covid-19 transmission. A preventive measure should be taken so that the disease will not further spread amid the mass protests.

Regarding the street protests, Muhammadiyah secretary-general Abdul Mu\'ti appealed to all elements of the public to refrain from holding more protests because it could cause new problems. "It will be better if all the elements in society to refrain and accept the decision of the DPR [the House of Representatives ] as a political reality," said Mu\'ti.