Indonesia: Thousands protest against 'omnibus law' on jobs

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Tens of thousands of Indonesians have protested for a third day against a controversial law that critics say will harm workers and the environment.

Rallies took place around the country. Hundreds were arrested in Jakarta. Hundreds more have been held in strikes and protests in other cities this week.

The so-called "omnibus" jobs creation bill became law on Monday.

The government says the changes are needed to help its economy which has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Demonstrations have gathered steam in the capital Jakarta and other cities such as Bandung on Wednesday and Thursday, after relatively peaceful protests earlier in the week.

Indonesian police detained at least 400 protesters, including some who were allegedly armed with molotov cocktails and sharp weapons.

The bill, which is over 1,000 pages long and amends 79 existing laws, was passed with the support of seven out of nine parties.

Publish : 2020-10-08 23:33:09

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