Brave Pink, Hero Green: Indonesian Women Lead Protests Over Police Violence and Political Privilege

Pink shirts, green uniforms and a demand for change

Women wearing bright pink and carrying broomsticks have become a defining presence in Indonesia's largest street protests in years. As of September 3, 2025, demonstrations outside parliament in Jakarta and across the country have entered a second week, bringing together demands for accountability over police violence, cuts to lawmakers' privileges and help for families struggling with rising living costs.

The death of Affan Kurniawan, a young motorcycle taxi driver who was run over by a police vehicle, turned existing frustration into a wider protest movement. Green, the color of his rideshare uniform, now accompanies pink on the streets and online. Supporters call the colors "brave pink" and "hero green," connecting women's leadership with solidarity for the rider whose death intensified public anger.

The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation reported at least 10 deaths linked to the unrest since late August and more than 1,000 people treated in hospitals. Those figures have increased pressure for an independent review of alleged police abuses and changes in how security forces handle demonstrations.

The crowds include the Indonesian Women's Alliance, student unions, labor groups and human rights advocates. Their concerns reach beyond a single police incident. Protesters describe a country in which ordinary people face growing pressure to pay for basic needs while elected officials receive allowances and benefits that appear detached from those difficulties.

Broomsticks give that argument a familiar shape. A tool used to clean a home has become a symbol of citizens' determination to sweep corruption, militarism and repressive policing out of public life. The women carrying them are demanding safer streets, more accountable institutions and a stronger voice in decisions that affect their families.

How a driver's death widened the protests

Marches that began with focused demands in Jakarta spread nationwide after Affan's death. Students and workers joined large gatherings, broadening the movement beyond its original participants and turning anger over policing into a debate about political privilege and fairness.

Many rallies remained peaceful. Some, however, involved clashes, property damage and scattered looting. Rights organizations said police used tear gas and rubber bullets in several confrontations. The combination of casualties and allegations of excessive force has made the conduct of security forces a central issue.

The sequence of developments helps explain how the movement grew:

• Since late August, unrest has been linked to at least 10 deaths and more than 1,000 people receiving hospital treatment, according to the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation.
• After Affan Kurniawan was run over by a police vehicle, demonstrations spread from Jakarta to cities across Indonesia.
• Before departing for China, President Prabowo Subianto announced that his administration would rein in some benefits for lawmakers.
• By September 3, protests had entered a second week, while parliament leaders had met student representatives and signaled reviews of benefits and spending practices.

Advocates want authorities to change their tactics and allow an independent examination of alleged abuses. For protesters, accountability means establishing what happened during confrontations and ensuring that unlawful force brings consequences.

Women turn a household tool into a political symbol

The Indonesian Women's Alliance, known by its Indonesian initials IWA, has organized much of the women's participation. It says it brings together about 90 women's organizations, community movements, labor unions, indigenous groups and human rights advocates.

The coalition draws on a long tradition of women taking leading roles in Indonesian protests, including the 1998 reform movement that toppled Suharto's authoritarian rule. Its use of brooms connects that political history with an object familiar to households across the country.

IWA members at the Jakarta rally carried signs reading "reform the police." Organizer Mutiara Ika described their participation as an assertion of a right held by every citizen:

Protests are not crimes, but rather democratic rights inherent in every citizen.

Women in the crowds described two connected goals: policing that respects lawful assembly and government action on rising costs that fall hardest on families. Their broomsticks express the belief that everyday people can remove practices that favor elites and press for a more just system.

What brave pink and hero green mean

Pink has become a symbol of courage for many women leading the marches. Green honors Affan and recalls the rideshare uniform he wore. Supporters use the two colors in social media filters, profile images and posters, allowing people beyond the demonstrations to express solidarity.

Colors and humor have long been part of Indonesian activism. During this wave, placards combine pointed criticism with satire. A sign near parliament read, "your sweet promises cause diabetes," mocking campaign pledges that voters believe were quickly forgotten.

Brooms add another recognizable image to the movement. They convey a demand to clean out corruption, militarism and repressive policing without requiring every participant to share exactly the same priorities.

Students seeking protection for their rights, workers demanding labor safeguards and advocates defending civil liberties can gather under these shared symbols. The colors and household tools give a broad coalition a common public identity while leaving room for different concerns.

A dispute over the right to demonstrate

President Prabowo, a former general, pledged to stand firm against violent mobs and said elements of the unrest bore signs of terrorism and treason. His language presented part of the turmoil as a threat to national security.

Images of armored vehicles and riot shields, alongside that rhetoric, have unsettled Indonesians who remember harsh policing in the late 1990s. Protest leaders insist that the movement's core is peaceful and democratic, even as some gatherings have been marred by violence and damage.

Rizky Ananda, a participant in Jakarta aged 30, said the marches were intended to demonstrate that dissent could be orderly and lawful. He challenged the government's description of the protests:

We want to show that protests are mostly peaceful. If the government said protests were treasonous, it should be questioned.

The disagreement matters for people deciding whether they can safely gather and speak. Protesters want the authorities to protect peaceful assembly, release peaceful detainees and conduct a credible review of charges linked to treason or terrorism.

Their argument also reaches into everyday politics. Many citizens say they are working harder to cover basic needs while elected officials retain privileges that seem out of step with the economic mood. That contrast has strengthened demands for more humble conduct in public office.

The changes protesters are demanding

Speakers at rallies and civil society groups have set out several practical demands. Different organizations place different weight on each issue, but their shared priorities connect police accountability, public spending and economic opportunity.

• Independent investigations into alleged police abuses and accountability for any unlawful use of force during demonstrations.
• Reduction or suspension of special allowances and benefits for members of parliament, alongside full transparency about public spending.
• Release of detained peaceful protesters and a credible review of charges involving treason or terrorism.
• Accessible dialogue between lawmakers and civil society about the pressures created by rising living costs.
• Policies supporting fair access to education, more predictable agricultural support and decent jobs.

Student unions have asked for clear timelines rather than promises alone. Several leaders want an independent body to assess the police response and parliament to publish a detailed plan for reforming its own spending practices.

These demands connect decisions made inside state institutions with consequences outside them. A published spending plan would let citizens examine how money is used. An independent investigation would give alleged abuses scrutiny beyond the police themselves. Better access to education and jobs would address concerns that brought students and workers into the streets.

Prabowo balances domestic unrest and a visit to China

Prabowo initially signaled that he would cancel a trip to Beijing for a massive military parade as police confronted crowds at home. He subsequently flew to China and joined a group photograph with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Before leaving, Prabowo announced that his administration would rein in some perks for lawmakers. The pledge addressed one of the movement's central demands, even as his warnings about violence maintained a firm security message.

The sequence placed two responsibilities alongside each other: responding to discontent at home and projecting stability abroad. Protesters will judge the domestic response by the specific changes made to allowances and by the government's willingness to accept independent scrutiny of police conduct.

A promise to reduce benefits responds to anger over privilege. Investigations into alleged abuses address the separate demand for safety and accountability. Both have become measures of whether political leaders are listening to the people on the streets.

Students press parliament for more than promises

Deputy speakers of parliament have met student unions. Early signals from lawmakers include evaluating their benefits, placing a moratorium on overseas trips and improving transparency. A moratorium means a temporary halt, in this case to travel abroad.

Student representatives want a firm schedule for publishing spending details and examining allegations of excessive police force. They argue that citizens need to see what will change and when, rather than receive broad assurances.

Agus Setiawan, who leads the University of Indonesia student body, described frustration with the relationship between voters and elected officials:

It is as if they take advantage of us in every election. After they won, we were forgotten.

Herianto, a former central coordinator for a national student union, said changes limited to appearances would fall short of public expectations. He connected political reform with policies affecting daily life:

Symbolic changes are important, but people expect deeper reforms, particularly in areas that affect ordinary citizens such as agricultural policy, education and fair economic opportunities.

Parliament's ability to sustain a credible reform program will therefore be judged beyond the immediate question of perks. Students want changes that improve how public money is managed and how institutions respond to citizens after elections.

Human rights bodies call for investigations and dialogue

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for prompt and thorough investigations into how security forces handled the protests. Domestic and international watchdogs have urged a transparent response to allegations of abuse.

Amnesty International Indonesia has echoed the demand for investigations and warned of further harm if grievances remain unanswered. Its executive director, Usman Hamid, appealed directly to the authorities:

The state must immediately meet all the demands of the people during the demonstrations before further casualties occur.

Indonesia's National Human Rights Commission, known as Komnas HAM, said the continuing volatility was worrying and connected it to a lack of real space for dialogue. Its chair, Anis Hidayah, described the difficulty people face when trying to make their concerns heard:

These actions are the result of a very limited space for dialogue. When people want to express their problems and difficulties, the space seems to be available but not easily accessible.

Komnas HAM's concern reaches beyond whether a complaints process exists on paper. Citizens need a practical way to present their difficulties and receive a response. The commission has urged steps to reduce violence by authorities, while watchdogs want investigations whose findings are published promptly.

Why police reform remains unfinished

Indonesia's debate over policing stretches back to the late 1990s. After Suharto's fall, the police were formally separated from the military in 1999, a landmark change intended to create a civilian force with a public service mission.

The country has since developed stronger legal frameworks and more training in community engagement. Yet memories of harsh responses to unrest persist, and several episodes over the past two decades have reinforced concerns about impunity, meaning misconduct can go without effective punishment.

Several institutions can examine alleged abuses. Komnas HAM can investigate human rights violations and make recommendations to the government and prosecutors. Kompolnas, an advisory body, can review police policy and performance and advise the president. Courts can hear criminal cases and civil suits involving unlawful force.

Those mechanisms depend on access to evidence, genuine cooperation from police and political willingness to act on findings. Their effectiveness matters directly to people injured during demonstrations and families seeking answers about deaths.

Practical reform proposals raised by activists and in the wider debate include independent teams to review protest incidents, prompt publication of rules governing force, body cameras during crowd control and better training in de-escalation, which means reducing tension before a confrontation becomes violent.

Other proposals include holding commanders responsible for decisions made during operations and providing credible compensation to victims of proven abuses. Publishing figures on arrests, charges, injuries and disciplinary outcomes could help citizens assess whether accountability is working. Clear rules communicated before peaceful gatherings could reduce confrontation and protect the right to protest.

Household pressures meet concerns about the budget

Food, transport and household bills sit behind many of the slogans. Workers say wages have not kept pace with expenses. Students point to higher tuition and limited job prospects. Families facing those pressures see politicians' publicly funded perks as evidence that public money is being managed without sufficient care.

Calls to reduce allowances, suspend lawmakers' overseas trips and disclose spending therefore concern both fairness and careful budgeting. Protesters want officials to explain how resources are used while addressing difficulties that affect ordinary households.

Possible responses to cost pressures range from targeted social support to measures that ease supply bottlenecks for essential goods. A supply bottleneck is a blockage that makes goods harder to obtain or distribute. Protest leaders want relief judged by results in people's lives, rather than announcements in speeches.

Fitch Ratings has cautioned that prolonged unrest could weigh on economic growth or push the government toward spending that strains its budget. Either development could affect Indonesia's sovereign credit profile, the assessment of the government's ability to meet its financial obligations.

The warning connects domestic tensions with international perceptions of economic stability. Government choices about spending, household support and political benefits will be watched alongside its response to the demonstrations. For protesters, accountable budgeting belongs in the same conversation as accountable policing and fair treatment of dissent.

What commitments are still being sought

Organizers say rallies will continue until they see firm commitments. Student unions are preparing to present their demands directly to government representatives, while parliament has signaled a review of benefits and a temporary halt to overseas travel.

No firm schedule for publishing spending details or completing an independent investigation was given. Students are pressing lawmakers for that timetable, and watchdogs want a probe into security forces' conduct with timely publication of its findings.

Violence has eased in some areas, but confidence will depend on actions that match expectations for fairness and safety. Accessible dialogue could give citizens a way to raise their grievances while officials address demands about policing, political spending and daily economic pressures.

For now, pink shirts, green symbols and raised brooms express a common insistence that citizens have the right to gather, speak and be heard. The movement's demands extend from the streets to parliament: protect peaceful protest, account for public money and make policies answerable to the people they affect.

Key Points

• As of September 3, 2025, nationwide protests had entered a second week after the death of motorcycle taxi driver Affan Kurniawan.
• Women wearing pink and carrying brooms have become leading figures in demonstrations against police abuses and political privileges.
• The Indonesian Women's Alliance says it comprises about 90 organizations and groups.
• The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation reported at least 10 deaths and more than 1,000 people treated in hospitals since late August.
• Prabowo pledged to rein in some lawmakers' perks and attended a military parade in China after initially signaling he would cancel the trip.
• Parliament leaders signaled reviews of benefits, a pause in overseas travel and greater transparency after meeting students.
• UN human rights officials, Amnesty International Indonesia and Komnas HAM have called for investigations, action on grievances or more accessible dialogue.
• Protesters want police accountability, release of peaceful detainees, transparent spending and policies addressing education, agriculture, jobs and living costs.
• Fitch Ratings warned that prolonged unrest could affect growth or strain the government budget.