Arrest of 101 People During Labour Day at DPR, Promised Concert Trip but Taken to Metro Police Headquarters Instead
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - A total of 101 people were arrested during the International Labour Day (May Day) action in front of the DPR/MPR Building in Senayan, Jakarta, on Friday (1/5/2026).
The Metro Jaya Regional Police’s General Criminal Investigation Directorate stated that the arrests were made as a preventive measure against potential disturbances.
Police suspect the group intended to infiltrate the labour action and trigger conflict.
The majority of them are said to come from outside Jakarta.
The Director of General Criminal Investigation at the Metro Jaya Regional Police, Commissioner Pol Iman Imanuddin, said the data was obtained from initial tabulation.
“Because most of them come from outside Jakarta, we are also trying to contact their families to pick them up,” he said.
During the arrests, police confiscated several items deemed dangerous, such as empty bottles, fire wick cloth, petrol, slingshots, Gotri, concrete nails, and sharp weapons.
Police also found communication devices, approximately Rp 10 million in cash, and documents containing alleged riot scenarios, including routes, times, and escape paths.
However, police stated they are still investigating whether they are part of a structured group.
Meanwhile, the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH) has uncovered several allegations of violations in the arrest of the 101 people during May Day in front of the parliamentary complex.
Public Lawyer of LBH Jakarta, Nabil Hafizhurrahman, said there were allegations of mass diversion in the incident.
He mentioned that several action participants were directed by parties suspected to be undercover officers to board a bus under the pretext of heading to a concert location.
However, the bus instead took them to the Metro Jaya Regional Police Headquarters.
“At that time, there were plainclothes police around Palmerah who then directed the action crowd to board the bus to the concert venue. Instead of arriving at the concert venue, the bus headed to the Metro Jaya Regional Police Headquarters,” Nabil told Kompas.com on Saturday (2/5/2026).