Demonstrations had begun on 13 January 2020 while the then-bill, claimed by the government as vital to boosting the country's manufacturing industry and foreign investment, was still being drafted.

One of President Joko Widodo's goals is to increase investment and industrialization in Indonesia,[21] with an annual per capita income of Rp.

The new proposed draft titled RUU Cipta Kerja (Job Creation Bill) was fiercely opposed by environmentalists, labour unions, and many oppositions shortly after its publication.

[4] In August, a group of labourers across 20 provinces[33] threatened to hold a more massive protest[N 2] from 6 to 8 October[34] if the law is not retracted.

The group's leader states that health protocols will be implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19,[35] and that via The Jakarta Post, "Whether or not we succeed should be an afterthought.

[2] Since January, many protests in Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, and Yogyakarta have been held in front of the Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) buildings and elsewhere.

[45] Three police stations, Patung Kuda Arjuna Wiwaha, Tugu Tani, and Harmoni were burned and destroyed by rioters.

[58] A video recorded by the Associated Press (AP) showed a student collapsing three meters from a police barricade after a gunshot was heard.

Protesters were warned by Minister of Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD to be cautious of any intruders.

As a result, the speaker of South Kalimantan DPRD agreed to support demonstrators' cause on rejecting the bill.

[77][78] In Pontianak alone, 32 people were arrested while in Banjarmasin, a man who wants to disperse the protesters was caught having a sharp weapon on his hand in the middle of the crowd.

[83][84] A video that shows police beating a student in front of a mosque went viral on Twitter, and three journalists are said to have experienced similar circumstances.

[94][95] Demonstrations were held in Ambon and Ternate against the omnibus law and demanding that the Elimination of Sexual Violence Bill be the nation's top priority.

The police said that they "thank" the students for "voicing their aspirations," saying that they will forward their messages to the government and the DPR in the form of a letter.

[107][108] Before the protests, Mobile Brigade Corps from other provinces such as North Sumatra and Maluku were deployed to Jakarta as part of a 12,000-strong security presence.

[39] Named Action 1310 after the date on which it was held, the protest resulted in the closure of roads, sidewalks, and public transport in the area.

A police officer repeatedly used obscenities when threatening to arrest protesters, prompting some of the demonstrators to throw stones and plastic bottles at the law enforcers.

[127] In a severe case, a woman on TikTok claimed to be the mistress of a DPR member, demanding that the law be revised, or else she will "tell" something to his original wife.

Ardhito Pramono, an Indonesian singer and celebrity, apologized on Twitter and stated that he had been paid to promote the bill.

[50] Amid Action 1310, eight people were arrested for allegedly "spreading hate speech and violating the Electronic Information and Transactions Law.

[131] Four users on e-commerce company Shopee reportedly "sold" the DPR building at a meagre price, ranging from Rp.

DPR secretary-general Indra Iskandar says that such incidents are expected in a pro-democracy protest, and advises the police to take appropriate actions towards the sellers, that "those kinds of jokes, I think, have no place anywhere.

[133][134] The Indonesian police stated that it would launch "cyber patrols" and "counter-narratives" to "mobilize public opinion against the strikes," specifically to remove or fact-check hoaxes about the law, the protests, and anything related.

[143] Jokowi responded in a live speech:[144]I see that many of the protests [...] were motivated by misinformation regarding the contents of the [...] law, and hoaxes on social media.

This is allowed by our country's basic systems.On social media pro-Omnibus Law accounts, or cyber troops, were mobilized to support the bill and deter criticism.

Pro-government cyber troops also scorned the protesters as “hoax-spreaders” for posting tweets based on older drafts or for exposing government officials’ collusion and corruption.

[39][118] In 12 October, a banner reading "KAMI terbukti menunggangi aksi demo buruh & pelajar" (English: KAMI was proven to be piggybacking the demonstration by labourers and students) was installed by an unknown party at Central Jakarta, which accuses the Action for Rescuing Indonesia Coalition[N 4] of influencing the demonstrations.

[146] The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs of Indonesia, Mahfud MD also predicts the demonstration will live until 28 October 2020.

[147] Spokesman of Labour with the People Movement (Gebrak), Nining Elitos says there was a diversion of issues on Omnibus Law on Job Creation demonstrations.

[157][158][159] Regional Representative Council member Abdul Rachman Thaha called for support from the people and the legislature to remove Joko Widodo from the presidency and impeach him for his administration's actions.