The journalist association, Student Press Organisation, and content creators staged a protest against the draft Law on Broadcasting in Surakarta City on Tuesday (21/5). The theatrical protest at Plaza Manahan drew many people and media.

The alliance of journalist organisations, content creators and artists unanimously rejected the 2024 draft law prepared by the People’s Representatives Body for Law. The draft law definitely threatened democracy in Indonesia, as well as free press and human rights. There were a number of articles that could be interpreted in many different ways, and therefore could potentially be used as a crack-down instruments by the authority.
The head of the Indonesian Journalist Alliance in Surakarta, Mariyana Ricky P.D. (cited in Solopos) confirmed that it was an important campaign to reject the draft law. Mariana emphasized that collaboration was important in an attempt to reject the draft law on free press, but the general public should also become aware that the draft law could potentially threaten civil liberty and public participation.

Protest against Draft Broadcasting Law in Yogyakarta
It was not only in Solo, protest against the draft broadcasting law also happened in Yogyakarta. A number of journalists, communication media practitioners, academics and civil society joined as a united Forum to Save Media and Democracy to reject unconditionally the planned endorsement of the draft Law by the 2019-2024 Parliament.
The draft law may prove to be a nightmare that threatens free press and free expression. AJI (Indonesian Journalist Alliance) Instagram noted that the draft law will add more problems to the future governance of broadcasting, digital platform and democracy,
The protesters included FPMD, Forum Cik Di Tiro and Sejagad, during a protest to commemorate 26-years of 1998 Reform, to reject the endorsement of draft law on broadcasting at Museum TNI Dharma Wiratama, on Tuesday (21/5).
The protest coordinator, Januardi Husin stated that the draft law may potentially disadvantage the Indonesian community and therefore must be rejected. And if the Parliament continues the deliberation and endorsement of the draft law, then there is an issue of legal ethics violation or constitutional ethics violation.
Protests also occured in Malang, Banyuwangi, North Sumatera and West Nusa Tenggara.(Ast)