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๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ Indonesia /Culture & Society

Thursday Protest in Central Java Governor's Office: Citizens Honk Horns to Signal Discontent with Government

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Protesters in Semarang, Indonesia, used car horns to express their discontent with the government during a "Kamisan" (Thursday) demonstration.
  • Participants held banners reading "Honk if you're fed up with the government," encouraging passing motorists to join their protest.
  • The demonstration, organized by student groups, aimed to gauge public frustration with current governance, with a wide range of citizens participating.

In Semarang, Indonesia, a "Kamisan" (Thursday) protest saw demonstrators gather outside the Central Java Governor's Office, their message amplified by the blaring horns of passing vehicles. Protesters held banners that read "Honk if you're fed up with the government," inviting motorists to voice their dissent.

This unique form of protest encouraged drivers of cars, motorcycles, and even public transport like the Trans Semarang bus to honk their horns as they passed the demonstrators. Kevin Kurnia Priambodo, a student leader from the State Polytechnic of Semarang, expressed surprise at the widespread participation, noting that people from various economic backgrounds joined in.

There were car drivers, motorcycle taxi drivers, taxi drivers. So it's not just limited to lower-class or low-income communities.

โ€” Kevin Kurnia PriambodoDescribing the diverse range of people participating in the honking protest.

Priambodo explained that the honking campaign served as a simple yet effective way to gauge the public's frustration with the current government's performance. He stated that gathering all Indonesians to voice their aspirations would be too time-consuming, making the honking protest a practical method to understand the widespread public unease.

If we had to gather the people of Indonesia to express their aspirations, it would be too much and take too much time. Through a method as simple as this (inviting them to honk), we can find out that, 'Oh, the people of Indonesia are currently restless about the government's performance.'

โ€” Kevin Kurnia PriambodoExplaining the rationale behind the honking protest as a gauge of public sentiment.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.