Increasingly disillusioned by the autocratic acts of Suharto's New Order government, during the 1997 legislative elections Sarumpaet and her troupe led pro-democracy protests.
Semakin kecewa dengan tindakan otokratik Orde Baru Soeharto, selama pemilihan umum 1997 Sarumpaet dan grupnya memimpin protes pro-demokrasi.