Hundreds of sanitation workers dumped heaps of garbage onto the grounds of the mayor's office in Sorong, Indonesia.

The workers are accusing the city officials of corruption and nepotism after garbage collection duties were handed over to a private company.

“We just want clarity and justice. Don’t fire us without notice! We need to eat, we need to work!” cried Rosa, one of the dismissed sanitation workers, visibly shaken and in tears as she confronted Mayor Septinus Lobat.

Protesters claim the newly appointed firm is owned by a relative of a high-ranking city official, a move they allege reeks of cronyism.

The workers are demanding that the government cancel the contract with the third-party provider and reinstate the original sanitation staff. They are also calling for an independent audit of the waste management project, which they suspect is tainted by conflicts of interest.

“This isn’t just about jobs anymore. It’s about integrity and transparency,” said one of the protest leaders during a heated address to the crowd.
“Public services shouldn’t be handed out like family heirlooms.”

In response, Mayor Lobat acknowledged the workers’ concerns and promised to rehire 121 previously registered sanitation workers.

However, he firmly rejected calls to cancel the private contract, citing operational needs and continuity of public services.

“We cannot allow garbage to pile up for days,” Lobat stated. “The city must keep running, and that means maintaining partnerships that ensure service delivery.”

A chaotic protest erupted Thursday in Sorong, a city in Southwest Papua, Indonesia, as hundreds of sanitation workers stormed the mayor’s office, accusing city officials of corruption and nepotism in the privatization of waste management services.
The demonstrators, many of whom had been abruptly terminated, dumped piles of garbage in front of City Hall, turning the grounds into a landfill to symbolize what they called “institutional rot.”
“We just want clarity and justice. Don’t fire us without notice! We need to eat, we need to work!” cried Rosa, one of the dismissed sanitation workers, visibly shaken and in tears as she confronted Mayor Septinus Lobat.
The protest, which began peacefully in the early morning, quickly escalated. Tensions peaked when a man alleged to be a provocateur was beaten by several demonstrators, prompting police intervention. No fatalities were reported, but the incident underscored the volatility of the workers' grievances.
At the center of the dispute is the city government's decision to hand over garbage collection duties to a private company. Protesters claim the newly appointed firm is owned by a relative of a high-ranking city official, a move they allege reeks of cronyism.
The workers are demanding that the government cancel the contract with the third-party provider and reinstate the original sanitation staff. They are also calling for an independent audit of the waste management project, which they suspect is tainted by conflicts of interest.
“This isn’t just about jobs anymore. It’s about integrity and transparency,” said one of the protest leaders during a heated address to the crowd. “Public services shouldn’t be handed out like family heirlooms.”
In response, Mayor Lobat acknowledged the workers’ concerns and promised to rehire 121 previously registered sanitation workers. However, he firmly rejected calls to cancel the private contract, citing operational needs and continuity of public services.
“We cannot allow garbage to pile up for days,” Lobat stated. “The city must keep running, and that means maintaining partnerships that ensure service delivery.”
Despite the mayor’s assurance, public pressure continues to mount amid allegations that the vice mayor is linked to the newly contracted company—a claim that, while unverified, has fueled further distrust.
By late Thursday afternoon, demonstrators remained camped outside City Hall, vowing not to leave until a resolution is reached.
If the allegations of corruption and nepotism are substantiated, it could severely damage the Sorong city administration’s credibility, raising broader questions about governance and public accountability in the region.