The coordinator of the rally, Muhamad Arifin, said the Bogor administration had torn down street vendor stalls in three locations in the Cisarua area to make room for widening the road.

The Bogor regency administration plans to relocate around 600 street vendors affected by the project to the Gunung Mas rest area, which is still under construction.

"We are ready to be relocated, but we are not ready to be removed. We are asking the regent to halt the eviction until the Gunung Mas rest area is fully constructed. We are also pleading with the central government to stop the road expansion project until the rest area's construction is completed," Arifin said.

Ujang Kabir, a 75-year-old fried rice seller, was devastated when the Bogor administration tore down his stall several weeks ago.

"I wish I could keep selling fried rice in my stall until the Gunung Mas rest area is finished," he said. 

The Bogor administration and the central government plan to widen the road to Puncak in an effort to tackle notorious traffic congestion in the area.

Popular

Indonesian islanders lose ground as islets put on sale

Labubu dolls ride China soft-power wave

A democratic reckoning for global development finance