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housands of workers rallied on Wednesday at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, in front of several embassies and at the Presidential Palace, resulting in severe traffic congestion around Central and South Jakarta’s commercial and government office areas.

The rally was organized by the Indonesian Workers’ Assembly (MPBI) to demand that the government abolish outsourcing and crack down on foreign companies that ban their workers from joining labor unions.

Workers under the Federation of Indonesian Metal Workers Union (FPSMI), the All-Indonesia Workers Union Confederation (KSPSI) and the Confederation of Indonesian Prosperity Trade Unions (KSBSI), joined the rally and assembled at the traffic circle before heading to the South Korean Embassy on Jl. Thamrin, Central Jakarta.

Protesters chanted and yelled pro-union and anti-Korean sentiments in front of the embassy before continuing on to the nearby Japanese Embassy and then to the Italian Embassy on Jl. Diponegoro.

“Our friends [working for Korean companies] were fired because they joined labor unions. Workers unite against Korea,” said a protest field coordinator in front of the embassy, as reported by tribunnews.com.

The protesters then headed to the Merdeka Palace before dispersing in the afternoon.

The rally caused a traffic backup from Blok M, South Jakarta, to the palace and on Jl. Imam Bonjol. Police had to divert traffic and open Transjakarta busway lanes to private vehicles.

Jakarta Police operational unit chief Sr. Comr. Choirul Nur Alamsyah said that 8,200 officers had been deployed to secure protests scheduled for Wednesday.

“Besides the labor protest, we are also deploying officers to guard a demonstration in front of the Malaysian Embassy,” Choirul explained.

Members of Laskar Merah Putih (Red and White Front) demonstrated in front of the Malaysian Embassy to urge the Malaysian government to take firm action against three policemen who allegedly raped an Indonesian maid.

Early in November, an Indonesian maid was taken by the officers to the Prai Police station in Penang, Malaysia, for not being in possession of her passport while traveling in a taxi to her home in Taman Inderawasih, Prai.

The officers reportedly took turns raping the woman at the station before releasing her. The woman filed a police report later that day. The officers have been named suspects and are currently being detained. (aml)