Green groups gather at Suropati Park for Earth Day Rally

Prodita Sabarini , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sat, 04/18/2009 3:07 PM | Jakarta

Green groups and communities are holding a rally Saturday, at Suropati Park, Menteng Central Jakarta, celebrating the upcoming earth day, with art performances and cyclist riding their antique bicycles in Jakarta thoroughfares.

Earth Day rally coordinator Suratno Kurniawan from Friends of the Earth (WALHI) said that more than 20 environmental groups and various communities would partake in the event. Earth Day falls in April 22. The event to celebrate will start in 3 p.m. and last to nighttime, he said.

A group of around 50 to 100 antique bicycle enthusiasts will ride their two-wheel vehicles to the HI roundabout from the Suropati Park and back. The rally will feature, poetry reading by artist Ine Febrianti, art performances from Sahid Theater Community, percussion performance from Jimbe Mumu group, and film screenings.

Suratno said that Director of Walhi Slamet Daryoni and head of Joint Committee for Leaded Gasoline Phaseout (KPBB) Ahmad Safrudin would give orations at the rally.

Some 500 people would be expected to come to the rally, Suratno said. “Each community will bring their members, so, we expect a lot of people will come,” he said.

Suratno said that Suropati Park was chosen as the location for the rally to remind Jakartans of their rights to open green areas.

“There are a lot of sites that should be open green areas become petroleum stations, hotels, or affluent houses. Those are areas in which the city administration should have transform them to open green areas,” Suratno said.

Saturday’s rally is part of a set of events to celebrate earth day. Suratno said that another rally was scheduled on April 22 and on the 26, volunteer-based Green Map group, with Institute for Development and Transportation Policy (ITDP) and Green Radio will hold a tour of Jakarta using TransJakarta busway to lesser-known interesting places in Jakarta.

Green Map volunteer Bayu Wardhana said that 100 people would be able to join the tour. Interested residents can register at Green Radio in Utan Kayu, East Jakarta.