On 3 May 2021, nine labour and education rights defenders of the Gerakan Buruh Bersama Rakyat movement were reportedly arbitrarily detained by national police from the Greater Jakarta Metropolitan Region during a peaceful gathering to commemorate National Education Day. The nine human rights defenders detained in Jakarta District Police Station were Yohanes Gesri Ardo Ndahur, Surya Yudiputra, De Niao Tiendass Umboh, Dimas Sulistyanto, Bagja Ginanjar, Sunarno, Sutrismo Sinaga, Anggie Ero Ratalia Putri and Abdul Rauf. The human rights defenders, who allegedly were not granted access to their lawyers whilst detained, were released the following day but continue to be under investigation. Gerakan Buruh Bersama Rakyat (Labour Movement together with People) is an alliance of labour rights unions, farmers and other civil society organisations. Local defenders allege that the arrests came as a result of their criticism of the government’s handling of the pandemic, and its detrimental impact on the working class. A few days prior to the event, as part of International Labour Day, members of the Gerakan Buruh Bersama Rakyat held peaceful demonstrations, adhering to health protocols, in 27 provinces across the country. During the demonstrations, the group asserted that the government had failed to protect the working class during the COVID-19 pandemic through the implementation of 11 policies and regulations. These policies included wage cuts under the pretext of the pandemic, a vague regulation that does not cap wage deductions or establish a clear benchmark regarding the obligations of companies in financial distress to their employees, and weakened policies in relation to holiday allowances.