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Musicians sound 'emergency warning' over regional race saga
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An “emergency warning” image began circulating online on Aug. 21, 2024, after the House of Representatives attempted to override Constitutional Court rulings on regional head elections. (The Jakarta Post/X)
M
usicians throughout the country have been deploying a viral peringatan darurat (emergency warning) symbol in protest of lawmakers’ recent efforts to override Constitutional Court rulings on regional election nomination requirements, as well as to remind the public to keep policymakers in check.
The picture is a mock-up of the state’s emergency alert screen, showing the national emblem Garuda Pancasila on a blue background. It is a screengrab from a 2022 YouTube video by EAS Indonesia Concept about a fictional horror situation in Indonesia.
The screenshot went viral on social media after public figures posted it online in criticism of the House of Representatives’ attempt to override the court’s rulings to the advantage of the political parties allied with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and president-elect Prabowo Subianto.
Following protests in major cities on Thursday, musicians lent their voices to the chorus of objections by showing the emergency warning picture on the backdrops of their stage shows.
The image appeared at a concert by singer-songwriter Kunto Aji in South Jakarta on Thursday and at the 30th-anniversary concert of popular rock band Gigi on Saturday in Senayan, Central Jakarta.
“I’d been planning to incorporate this [picture] from the start because I wasn’t yet able to join others who were protesting on the streets,” Kunto wrote on X on Thursday.
Other musicians used the symbol on the first day of music festival LaLaLaFest in Kemayoran, North Jakarta, on Friday, including soloist Danilla and indie rock outfit Reality Club.
