The student executive body throughout Indonesia (BEM SI) will demonstrate on April 11, 2022. The public does not agree with this demonstration because it can disrupt the conduciveness of the holy month of Ramadan.
Indonesia is a democratic country and we are fighting for justice and democracy to be upheld in this country. After the reform era, they were relatively freer, in the sense that people were allowed to speak out through demonstrations. Unlike in the New Order era, which was full of rules, so that the demo plan was slightly overshadowed by Peter’s awesomeness.
Demos are indeed allowed as a form of upholding democracy. But of course it must be in accordance with ethics and have permission from the police. When the Student Executive Board throughout Indonesia will demonstrate on April 11, there will be a lot of public opposition. First, it is still a pandemic period, so demonstrations will trigger riots. Second, it is still the month of Ramadan so the demonstration will disrupt the solemnity of worship.
Imagine if the demonstrators actually swarmed around the State Palace. They will carry out long marches and carry banners and protest some government policies. It also prohibits the postponement of elections. Even though there is no plan at all from President Jokowi to do so.
Demonstrations in the month of Ramadan will destroy the sanctity of the fasting month. For Muslims, the arrival of this month only once a year.
Don’t even be polluted by demonstrations that are intended as a medium for delivering protests, because they are usually full of anger and have the potential for anarchy to occur. Fasting should also restrain from all negative emotions so just cancel the demo plan.
After all, are the protesters not afraid that their fast will be canceled? When he demonstrates and he is angry, the reward will be reduced.
Then during the demo in broad daylight and it was hot and then tempted by the freshness of a bottle of mineral water. It is a sin to deliberately break the fast just because it is carried away by lust and anger during a demonstration.
The month of Ramadan should not be damaged by demonstrations because it will make other people emotional too. During demonstrations, there are always traffic jams on the streets and many lose money because they linger on the trip. They became angry with the demonstration and the protesters also became a trigger for mass emotion. The atmosphere of Ramadan, which was supposed to be cool, turned hot because of the demonstration.
Moreover, the demonstrators must remember that currently it is still a pandemic so that crowds during demonstrations are also prohibited. Do not even get emotional to the police for not giving permission to protest. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the police have emphasized that they will not give permission for demonstrations carried out by anyone because there is still a risk of Corona transmission.
Not being given a permit does not mean that the government is afraid of demonstrators, but to prevent the formation of a new Corona cluster. This prohibition does not suppress democracy but is a way to save them from the ferocity of the Covid-19 virus.
Even though the demonstrators already know what the results of the demonstration will look like, because President Jokowi has always emphasized that he will obey the constitution and does not want any postponement of the election, so the demonstration will be in vain. They had already heated up and protested but were expelled and sent home.
The demonstration that will be carried out by the student executive body throughout Indonesia is clearly strictly prohibited because it is still during the pandemic, and any crowd will definitely be disbanded. In addition, demonstrations will pollute the sanctity of the month of Ramadan because they have the potential to trigger riots and take place with full of emotion. Don’t go to the demonstration because the officers will definitely drive you away for being unlicensed.
Muhammad Zaki, Author is a contributor to the Press Circle and a Cikini Student
