Kampung Akuarium: From Rubble to Resistance, The Self-Reliance of a Displaced Urban Community

Editorial Introduction

GerakanMandiri.com believes that true change is born from the ground up, not from the instructions of those in power. The self-reliance of citizens, the courage to resist injustice, and the solidarity to defend living space are the spirit of this movement. The story of Kampung Akuarium in North Jakarta is one such example—a story of ordinary people who refused to bow down, chose to rise, and proved that real democracy grows when citizens take the initiative to safeguard their dignity.

From Homes to Rubble: The Wounds of Eviction

In 2016, 375 families in Kampung Akuarium, Penjaringan, North Jakarta, lost their homes. Excavators flattened the fishing community in the name of “area revitalization.” The cries of children mixed with the sobs of mothers, while fathers rushed to salvage whatever belongings they could.

One of them, Bu Yati, still remembers that day. “I watched my house collapse before my eyes. All I could do was hug my child and ask: where will we sleep tomorrow?” she said in an interview.

The rubble was more than the loss of roofs—it symbolized the erasure of the community’s right to their living space.

From Rubble to Resistance: Residents Rebuild

But the story of Kampung Akuarium did not end there. The residents refused to surrender. They formed the Kampung Akuarium Residents’ Forum, organized protests, held public discussions, and even built emergency shelters as a symbol of resistance.

Solidarity poured in: students, academics, urban activists, and journalists raised their voices in support of the community.

This long struggle bore fruit. In 2018, the Jakarta Provincial Government finally recognized the residents’ rights. Reconstruction began, and today 241 new housing units in the form of flats stand on the very land where their homes once stood.

Lessons of Self-Reliance and Participatory Democracy

Kampung Akuarium offers three crucial lessons for Indonesia:

1. Urban self-reliance is the last line of defense when the state fails to protect.

2. Cross-group solidarity can shift the direction of public policy.

3. Substantial democracy emerges when citizens dare to resist, voice their rights, and determine their own destiny.

This is the essence of a bottom-up movement: not waiting for promises, but creating change through citizen initiative.

From Akuarium to Indonesia

Kampung Akuarium is not an isolated case. In Tamansari, Bandung, residents resisted eviction to keep their homes. In Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta, farmers opposed an airport project to protect their farmland. These struggles show that empowered citizens are those who dare to say no.

Now the question is:
👉 Will we continue to allow the poor to be displaced for the sake of grand projects?
👉 Or will we learn from Kampung Akuarium, that real change begins with grassroots resistance?

Because in truth, Indonesia cannot be built upon the rubble of its people. Indonesia can only be strong if its citizens are sovereign over their own living spaces.

Sources

• Kompas.id – Kampung Akuarium, Symbol of Urban Resistance (2019)

• Tempo.co – Kampung Akuarium Rises Again (2021)

• CNN Indonesia – Kampung Akuarium Residents Officially Move into New Housing (2021)

• Urban Poor Consortium (UPC) – Documentation of the Kampung Akuarium Struggle