Thekabarnews.com—Bright morning at Samarinda. The East Kalimantan sun was getting hotter, almost as if matching the feelings of the inhabitants. Tens of thousands of individuals from the East Kalimantan People’s Struggle are participating.

The alliance plans to conduct a super peaceful revolution, which reportedly aims to oust Governor Rudy Mas’ud from his position. Is the information true, and does it work? Mate, you may read the narration while drinking a cup of sugarless coffee (Koptagul), dude!

Imagine! More than 35 student organizations, along with dozens of community organizations, have united from 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya University (Untag). These also include Widya Gama Mahakam University (UMGM), Mulawarman University (Unmul), and Politeknik Negeri Samarinda (Polnes).

Logistics preparations are now at the key number of 75 percent. Mineral water, Rp27 million, and donations are flowing in. This event is not a demonstration; rather, it is a gathering of people. Coincidentally, they demand the removal of packed rice.

Samarinda now has three logistics posts, with others in Penajam Paser Utara and Paser Regency. Looks like folks from far-flung locations are preparing to hop onto open-back trucks to witness history. Today, April 21, 2026, the people will remove the governor themselves!

What is the main question? Wow, cool! The overall assessment of the Rp8.5 billion budget for acquiring a luxury official car has generated jealousy among officials from other countries. Additionally, there is the official residence restoration project costing Rp25 billion. Such spending prompts ordinary citizens to question, “Your house has a leaking roof; why do you make the official residence like a palace?”

Not to forget the urge to put an end to the deeply rooted corruption, collusion, and nepotism (KKN) practices. Additionally, there is a call for the East Kalimantan Representatives Council (DPRD) to fully exercise its supervisory function. The monitoring is even more like a family drama in a soap opera, because the chairman comes from the immediate family.

While other parts of society put up banners reading “Oust the governor,” which went viral on social media, the students denied it was from them. In contrast, ordinary citizens who are fed up with the situation may be organizing the protests.

Two big locations of protest today, the DPRD Office on Teuku Umar Street and the Governor’s Office on Gajah Mada Street, are starting at 10 AM. There will be thunderous sound systems and banners set to rock the foundations of Bumi Etam.

However, it’s important to remain patient. The governor’s palace camp is something like a humanistic version of getting ready for a world war. The East Kalimantan Police have sent 2,263 troops, up from 1,700. These include the military, municipal police, water cannons, and health teams.

The protesters were not young people waving flags, but rather an invading force from outer space. The fence around the governor’s office was highly welded. The iron poles were almost two meters high with a brilliant barbed wire cap that made passersby wonder, “Is this facility a national stronghold or a tiger zoo?”

Governor Rudy Mas’ud keeps his cool. He told staff to continue working as normal. Briefings and meetings as usual. Ready to embrace the hopes that come. That is to say, dialogue is permitted if the crowd is respectful. If it begins getting loud, just address it situationally. In reality, the governor has appealed against being anarchic. Do not destroy public property.

The Constitution guarantees the right to demonstrate, but participants must conduct it in an orderly, respectful, and responsible manner. Furthermore, there is traffic control in place so the residents who merely want to go to the coffee shop will not be victims of the historic eviction.

So did it work out? Obvious question of the day, wow! Tens of thousands of people are willing to show up, carry supplies, chant, and stand in the blistering sun. Meanwhile, inside the barbed-wire-protected structure, the governor and his staff might be sipping coffee and discussing how to speed up regional funding.

The organizers have secured all required permits and aim to keep the demonstration peaceful. We advise all parties, including the Balikpapan mayor, to maintain order and avoid disrupting stability.

But let us get genuine. Here, to remove a governor from the street, it usually takes long dialogues and promises of review. The next day, everything is back to normal, as in an ongoing soap drama.

The public is happy because their objectives are “communicated”; the authorities are happy because there is no riot; and the governor continues in office, saying, “Thanks for your feedback.”

Finally, today marks another super epic democracy exhibition in East Kalimantan. The people are eager to remove their governor with revolutionary fervor. However, they are also exercising a bit of extra patience because they understand that doing so might ultimately lead to traffic jams and memes in their WhatsApp group.

Did it work? Maybe not today, but tomorrow at least we can all shake our heads and remark, “Democracy is certainly quite lovely, but don’t forget to bring an umbrella, mineral water, and a lot of patience.”

Enjoy watching the East Kalimantan people; may your hopes be heard, may it be calm, and may we still have the energy for the next demonstration the day after tomorrow. Removing the governor here is like a political promise: frequently talked about, but rarely fulfilled.

By: Rosadi Jamani, Chairman of Satupena West Kalimantan.

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