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View all search resultsPink and green: Colors of resistance, symbols of solidarity
Born from the streets and carried into the digital realm, two colors, pink and green, have become symbols of grief, courage and resistance in Indonesia’s latest wave of protests.
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Time to deliver: University students hold posters of demands during a protest on Sept. 9, 2025, in front of the House of Representatives complex in Senayan, Jakarta. The demonstration, dubbed "Rakyat Tagih Janji" (The people call in promises), was held to push for the fulfillment of public demands known as the “17+8”. (Antara/Fakhri Hermansyah)
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ink and green have swept across Instagram, X and WhatsApp since the August protests, as people adopted the colors to honor victims and show solidarity with rallies against economic hardship and lawmakers’ lavish perks.
The two shades, soon dubbed “brave pink” and “hero green”, were born in the chaos of Aug. 28. Pink came from the hijab of Ana, an elderly lady who stood before rows of police outside the Senayan Legislative Complex in Central Jakarta, waving the Red and White flag.
In recent years, pink has resurfaced as a color of resistance. Once dismissed as a “girl’s color” after Mattel released Barbie in 1959, it was later reclaimed as a symbol of feminine strength, seen in films like Legally Blonde and women’s rallies worldwide. Now, in Indonesia, it reappears as a symbol of bravery.
Green emerged the same day, after 21-year-old online transportation driver Affan Kurniawan was fatally run over by a Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) tactical vehicle during a demonstration. His green jacket, once seen simply as workwear, became a symbol of the precarious struggle of workers living on the margins.
For those unable to join the rallies, the colors offered another way to participate. Pradewi Tri Chatami, a 38-year-old publishing house worker, used digital filters to tint her profile photo.
“I used the green filter in my profile picture to honor Affan and show my concern for gig workers, and pink for Bu Ana’s hijab,” she said. “People are slandering Bu Ana for speaking harshly, but we all have the right to be angry. The government makes our lives harder every single day.”
Pradewi used an app developed by digital creator Anang Marjono, while others turned to 32-year-old graphic designer Erwan Priyadi, who offered free pink-and-green profile illustrations on Instagram.
