Ari Saputra, Jakarta – A giant orange-coloured ball was rolled around the Hotel Indonesia roundabout on May 1 adding to the congestion caused by thousands of workers commemorating May Day in Jakarta.

The giant ball, with the writing “Decent Wages Yes, Bribes No”, was rolled around the roundabout twice by 10 workers from the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) followed by some 2,000 other workers.

The protesters – who overflowed onto the street – caused a massive traffic jam in the direction of Jl. Sudirman and in the opposite direction towards Jl. Jalan MH. Only the busway and one fast lane were able to be used by vehicles.

The police apparently halted the flow of traffic for around 20 minutes in order to control the crowed. The protests then moved of to the State Palace on foot while some held Friday prayers in the nearby Kebon Kacang area. (aan/nrl)

[Translated by James Balowski.]