Drumline Protest on Jakarta City Hall Steps

Soft gray light from a clearing monsoon afternoon washes over the wet stone steps of Senopati city hall in Jakarta. A line of drummers stands in formation on the broad staircase, their dark uniforms heavy with rain. Water beads on the polished copper and steel surfaces of their instruments, reflecting the diffused sky above. Behind them, the building's broad columns and wide facade rise against the darkening clouds, framing the group at the civic center. Distant palm fronds hang low near the skyline, their leaves dark and saturated with moisture. The drummers hold their sticks raised, their instruments angled upward toward the open plaza. A small puddle forms at the edge of the lowest step, mirroring the gray sky and the dark hem of a uniform.