Following protests organised by United Pati Community Alliance (AMPB) on Thursday August 27, which demanded the ratification of the Asset Confiscation Bill and the death sentence for corrupt government officials, it was the turn of students to demonstrate at the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Jakarta.
Based on monitoring by Kompas.com, the students groups who began arriving at around 2.40 pm came from the Open University (UT), the Bina Sarana Informatika University (UBSI), the Pamulang University and various other institutions.
Jakarta Metropolitical Police (Polda Metro Jaya) public relations head Budi Hermanto said that they estimated that there would be around 200-250 people from the combined universities this afternoon.
"Meanwhile, those who have informed us are from open universities, including several BEM [Student Executive Council] alliances. The crowd is more or less shifting between 200 and 250 students", he said at the location on Thursday.
The police prepared a number of demonstration points around the DPR building. "Later there will be fellow student elements, we will provide facilitation for us to oversee together so that these aspirations can be conveyed safely, peacefully and in accordance with what is expected", he said.
Scuffle with police
Earlier on Thursday afternoon a crowd of protesters and police pushed and shoved each other next to the flyover at Jalan Gerbang Pemuda where it turns towards Jalan Gatot Subroto in Senayan after police blockaded the road to the DPR.
The crowd, consisting of students and residents, tried to force their way through barriers setup by police because they wanted to go to the front of the DPR building. This situation was triggered when the crowd tried to move forward five steps through the police security barricades.
The protesters, who had been stuck there since noon, continued to push up against the barricades setup by the hundreds of police personnel guarding the intersection. "Pak [Sir], don't provoke a riot, sir. Just open it", shouted a person in the crowd.
The pushing and shoving continued for several minutes accompanied by shouts and calls from the crowd demanding that road access be opened. Unable to move forward, the crowd then conveyed their aspirations using loudspeakers while waving the flags of their respective organisations.
The situation began to heat up when protesters who were already in front of the DPR building moved to the location. The crowd appeared to come from various groups including students, local residents and online motorcycle taxi (ojol) drivers.
The situation became increasingly tense after mineral water bottles were thrown towards the police line, some of which even hit students who were behind the police barricades. Residents around the location then admonished the crowd asking them not to throw things carelessly.
Meanwhile on Jalan Gatot Subroto under the Ladokgi Flyover, a line of police equipped with riot shields were still blocking road access.
Soon after a crowd arrived carried a long red and white flag which was then handed over to the University of Indonesia National Student Forum (FMN) group. While waving and moving the flag, the crowd sang the song "Indonesia Pusaka". Local people at the location also joined in and sang the song.
However, the situation heated up again when an ambulance was attempting to pass along Jalan Gatot Subroto and people began throwing drink bottles at the police again while others were seen kicking the police barricades.
Counter-protest
At around 1.30 pm a group of people wearing uniforms arrived at Jalan Gerbang Pemuda using public transport. It was suspected that the group wanted to hold a counter action in the midst of the demonstrations taking place around the DPR building.
Based on Kompas.com's monitoring at the location, the group arrived on at least five busses, cars and a number of motorbikes.
Their arrival attracted the attention of protesters who were still being held back by police at the Ladokgi Flyover. A number of online motorcycle taxi drivers even accused the group of being a paid mob who wanted to hold a counter action.
The accusation was made after one of the ojol drivers claimed to have found a poster made using artificial intelligence (AI) and containing a message of support for the government.
"Earlier there was a poster using AI supporting the government, and the point was to stop immigrants from causing riots in Jakarta, that was a provocation, the counter action was the fall", said a motorbike taxi drivers at the location.
The motorcycle taxi drivers then blocked the busses transporting the group which stopped in front of the entrance gate Bung Karno Sports Stadium (GBK). "Huuu! Disperse, disperse, disperse!", they shouted in unison.
In response to the shouts and cheers the group, instead of turning towards the DPR building the group turned onto Jalan Asia Afrika and did not return.
Meanwhile, as of 2.40 pm the mass of students were still stuck at the Ladokgi Flyover and had not been able to move towards the DPR building. They tried to break through the police barricades several times but were unsuccessful. The crowd then chose to hold speeches in the middle of Jalan Gerbang Pemuda.
Blocked at Palmerah
Police also intercepted and questioned protesters in front of the Palmerah Sub-Sector Police Station. The men who intercepted them wore black clothing and some had shirts with the words "Metropolitical Police Criminal Investigation Unit".
They asked the protesters to stop then began asking questions. "Where are you from? Where are you going?", they asked. Some protesters were even asked to open their bags for inspection.
One of the protesters who was stopped said his belongings were searched and he was also asked about his purpose. "I wanted to cross [the street], but I couldn't, so I turned around", Arfan (not his real name) told Kompas.com on Thursday, "They asked me what I was carrying and where I was going", he continued.
He and his two friends were eventually asked to turn back by the officers who claimed that the area around the DPR building was currently a sterile area. "They told us to turn back, saying it was a sterile area", he said.
Para-military police deployed
Para-military Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers from the Jakarta Metropolitan Police (Polda Metro Jaya) were also deployed at the demonstrations on Thursday afternoon.
According to Kompas.com's monitoring, dozens of Brimob officers wearing tactical vests, helmets, shields, batons and tear gas launchers moved alongside students as they marched out from the GBK area in a line toward the front of the DPR building.
After the Brimob personnel left, several tactical vehicles moved into the area. Crowd control vehicles and barricade vehicles equipped with tear gas canisters were also deployed.
The protesters continued to demonstrate and deliver speeches in an orderly manner at the Ladokgi Flyover while other students continued to arrive in the Senayan area.
At around 4 pm hundreds of students from various campuses including the Jakarta Veterans National Development University (UPNVJ), the Pamulang University, the Jakarta Muhammadiyah University (UMJ), the Jakarta State University (UNJ) and the UBSI returned to Jalan Gerbang Pemuda.
However Brimob officers also blocked Jalan Gerbang Pemuda leading to the DPR and as a result they moved up onto the Ladokgi Flyover. At around the same time protesters from the Islamic Students Association (HMI) also arrived.
This time however, the protesting students and other organisations were able to pass through without any obstruction from the police.
The crowd could be seen wearing their alma mater jackets and usual attributes of their respective campuses and organisations as they marched in unison while waving their alma mater and organisational flags.
This situation was quite different from earlier in the day which was characterised by tight police blockade on Jalan Gerbang Pemuda. This time the police allowed the masses to pass in an orderly manner to the main point of action in front of the DPR building.
The arrival of protesters from the HMI, UBSI and UNJ increased the number of students conveying their aspirations in front of the parliament building.
Students from other campuses also began arriving in the Senayan area at around 4.40 pm and gathered at the Jalan Gerbang Pemuda before marching towards the DPR building.
The students, who came from the UPNVJ, the Pamulang University and the UMJ, walked slowly forming a border while singing songs such as "Indonesia Pusaka" and "Halo-halo Bandung".
Every few meters they stopped and closed ranks again so that the crowd would not be infiltrated by provocateurs. "If it's loose, the guys take the initiative to fill in the border. Let's tidy it up again so it's neat", said one student.
Large crowd at DPR
By late afternoon a large crowed of students from several different campuses and community groups had gathered in front of the main gate to the DPR building. Based on monitoring by Kompas.com at 5 pm, each group put forward their own demands at their respective gathering points.
Protesters from the UIN student community gathered to the left of the gate and conveyed their demands. Meanwhile a group from Borobudur University made their demands near the toll road fence. Later a group carrying HMI flags also arrived at the main gate.
On the right side of the main gate a number of people were trying to damage the iron fence of the main gate while others climbing the gate and waved red-and-white flags.
Other protest actions were seen among the general public while others sat on the sidewalk resting and eating snacks from the growing number of street vendors at the main gate.
Gradually however the situation became increasingly heated. The students giving speeches in small groups had dispersed and were replaced with protesters throwing mineral water bottles into the DPR building.
Students from HMI gave speeches to the right of the main gate while setting fire to sacks of rubbish. Meanwhile, the crowd to the left of the main gate was still trying to damage the fence and force their way in. Four drones could be seen above monitoring the protesters.
Different campuses, different demands
Among the groups demonstrating were Open University students who brought five main demands.
1. The ratification of the Asset Confiscation Bill
2. The ratification of the Labour Bill
3. Calling for an end to public budget cuts, prioritising education, health, disaster and social service budgets
4. Strengthening the DPR's supervisory role and
5. Rejecting militarism and stopping violence by the authorities
Students from the UBSI campus meanwhile conveyed four demands. UBSI protest coordinator Ariyuda Ade Pratama said the first demand concerns the ratification of the Asset Confiscation Bill.
They also demanded safety and justice for all Indonesians and the third and fourth demands called on the government to resolve the forest fires in Kalimantan and conduct a comprehensive audit of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program.
Meanwhile, students from the International Golden Institute (IGI) presented three demands: the ratification of the Asset Confiscation Bill and an evaluation of the MBG and Red and White Village/Sub-district Cooperative (KDMP) programs.
"We demand that the government deter all corruptors and their descendants, and impoverish them if possible said Ida from the IGI BEM.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian National Students Movement (GMNI), who were protesting together with the Islamic Students Legal Aid Consultation Institute (LKBHMI), the HMI and students from the Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta State Islamic University (UIN) under the banner of the UIN Jakarta Student Community (KBM), brought 11 demands:
1. Bring President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka to civil court.
2. Stop the MBG and KDMP programs.
3. Stop militarism in the civilian sphere and cancel the establishment of territorial battalions.
4. Stop taxes that burden the people and tax the rich.
5. Declare national disaster status in various regions, including Flores, Kalimantan, Sumatra and others.
6. Stop criminalising activists and release all political prisoners.
7. Ensure free education and healthcare.
8. Fulfill and guarantee the rights of domestic workers.
9. Lower the price of basic necessities.
10. Increase workers' wages.
11. Confiscate all assets of corruptors.
The Jakarta State Polytechnic Student Executive Board (BEM PNJ) voiced similar demands as the AMPB during its earlier protest at the DPR.
"Our demands are the same as those of the Pati community. We want to unite and align with the initiators of the AMPB", said Zuffar, chairperson of the PNJ Business Administration Student Association.
Meanwhile, dozens of students from the Borobudur University who also demonstrated in front of the parliament building, presented six demands:
1. Urging the government to declare East Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Aceh and Papua national disasters
2. Urging that the Asset Confiscation Bill to be passed immediately
3. An evaluation of the Prabowo-Gibran administration
4. The return of the education budget used for the MBG program
5. An end the authority of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police (Polri) in the civilian sphere
6. Centralise authority, law or pass the Islands Bill and the Indigenous Peoples Bill
Situation at DPR heats up
Panic briefly ensued after security forces inside the DPR complex began using water cannon to disperse the crowd outside. Initially the water was not very forceful but as the intensity gradually increased those closest to the building began to move away.
The situation shifted when a number of people suddenly started running toward the rear. "Hey, hey, don't run!", shouted voices from the crowd. That caused the crowd to halt briefly and the atmosphere calmed down again.
A short time later the crowd began running again after police vehicles were spotted at the rear of the crowd, moving closer to the protesters' location, prompting the protesters to move away again and head toward the flyover.
Meanwhile, the route to the flyover was heavily guarded by police with personnel seen standing in formation, equipped with riot shields.
Security measures were also visible at the side gate near Senayan Park and at the bend on Jalan Gerbang Pemuda not far from the flyover. At both locations, police personnel stood guard and restricted the movement of the crowd.
Motorcycles torched
It was at around this time that two motorcycles were set on fire at the Pejompongan Police Post (Pospol) on Jalan Pejompongan Raya. According to witnesses, the arson was committed by a group of unidentified individuals.
Observations by Kompas.com at around 7 pm revealed two motorcycles burning in the middle of the road directly in front of the Pejompongan police post. A resident named Yogi said that the motorcycles, which had been parked in front of the police post, were allegedly set ablaze by individuals wearing school uniforms.
Another witness, Riki, told Kompas.com that the group suspected to be students had arrived from the direction of Karet carrying bamboo poles, pieces of wood and stones.
He said that shortly after the group began throwing stones at plainclothes police officers gathered near the post forcing them to flee. The group then dragged the two motorcycles out and set them on fire in the street. Riki said that the motorcycles belonged to police personnel.
Teargas fired repeatedly
As of later Thursday evening police were continuing their efforts to disperse a crowd gathered on Jalan Palmerah Utara in West Jakarta. According to Kompas.com's monitoring at 10.25 pm, the police fired tear gas at least five times into the crowd.
The first tear gas was fired around 9 pm to push the crowd back from Jalan Letjen S. Parman to Jalan Palmerah Utara. However, the crowd returned to Jalan Letjen S. Parman and then began burning rubbish and lighting firecrackers on the Slipi Flyover in West Jakarta.
Police fired tear gas again to push the crowd back after which Brimob personnel moved in to chase the crowd away as they descended from the flyover and turned back towards the Pejompongan area.
The crowd, some of whom were local residents, then scattered toward the Palmerah Utara gas station. During this situation, several people were detained by police. Shortly after the crowd advanced again after the police withdrew from the scene.
Earlier, the same crowd had also been pushed back by police from Jalan Pejompongan Raya using tear gas. Some fled toward Jalan KS Tubun and then toward the Tanah Abang area in Central Jakarta.
Meanwhile, the police post at the Slipi Petamburan intersection was also set on fire by the crowd.
Protests continue into the evening
As of 11 pm however a number of people were still holding their ground on Jalan Palmerah Utara. The crowd gathered at the location was largely made up of residents who had initially been near the Slipi Flyover.
When police officers arrived from Jalan Gatot Subroto and fired teargas, the crowd split and some ran towards Jalan Palmerah Utara. The tear gas was then fired onto Jalan Palmerah Utara, prompting the crowd to retreat towards Palmerah Market and stop at the Pertamina gas station.
On several occasions some of the crowd advanced back towards the Slipi Flyover, where police officers were stationed. However, the crowd retreated back to the crowded area at the Palmerah Utara gas station after teargas was fired again.
Plainclothes police officers were also seen combing through the crowds remaining in the area. Several vehicles attempting to pass, particularly from Palmerah toward Pejompongan, were also stopped by officers and directed to turn around.
[Abridged translation by James Balowski based on a series of articles by Kompas.com on August 27. The original title of the lead article was "Massa Pati Bubar, Giliran Mahasiswa Unpam hingga BSI Demo ke DPR RI".]
