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View all search resultsMerdeka Palace to host largest Independence Day celebration
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A number of Regional Heads undergo a march on Feb. 19 at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. (Courtesy of/Shutterstock)
P
resident Prabowo Subianto’s administration will open the gates of the Merdeka Palace in Central Jakarta to thousands of citizens on Sunday, Aug. 17, in what is being billed as the largest Independence Day celebration ever held on the palace grounds, marking the country’s 80th anniversary.
A series of festivities are planned across the capital to commemorate the milestone, beginning at the Merdeka Palace in the morning and continuing at the National Monument (Monas) complex later in the day.
The government plans to welcome up to 8,000 people to the palace, the largest crowd it has ever hosted. The majority of participants will be ordinary citizens, followed by government officials and dignitaries.
“After the morning flag-hoisting ceremony, there will be a pesta rakyat (people’s party), where President Prabowo Subianto will provide a variety of food and drinks for attendees,” Deputy State Secretary Juri Ardiantoro said on Friday.
He added that the food would be served by street vendors who normally operate around the Palace and Monas area.
Read also: Pirate anime flag becomes tool of protest ahead of Independence Day
According to Juri, the public’s broader access to the palace as well as the inclusion of street vendors are intended to make the celebration more “inclusive”.
