In this article Kamisan Dian Purnomo
By Riqko Windayanto, originally published in Inside Indonesia
Oct 27, 2025
Read the full article here.
By Riqko Windayanto, originally published in Inside Indonesia
Oct 27, 2025
Thursday, 14 August 2025, was a day of paradoxes. At the State Palace in Jakarta, a full dress rehearsal was underway for the ceremony celebrating 80 years of independence for the Republic of Indonesia. Across the street from the palace, a group of people dressed in black and holding black umbrellas had gathered. Known as the Kamisan (Thursday), they have staged this silent protest every Thursday for the past 18 years, standing against impunity and demanding protection of human rights from the state.
Kamisan may not be as old as the state itself, but it serves as a reminder that a long history of violence has shaped eight decades of Indonesian independence. Kamisan becomes a powerful space for resisting the state’s neglect of these ongoing injustices. Why is this symbolic protest – participants dressed in black, gathering in silence and listening to speeches – a space of power? What has allowed it to endure for 18 years and perhaps even longer?
Kamisan may not be as old as the state itself, but it serves as a reminder that a long history of violence has shaped eight decades of Indonesian independence. Kamisan becomes a powerful space for resisting the state’s neglect of these ongoing injustices. Why is this symbolic protest – participants dressed in black, gathering in silence and listening to speeches – a space of power? What has allowed it to endure for 18 years and perhaps even longer?
Read the full article here.
Aksi Kamisan Tahun 2015 / KontraS
