BEM UI Chair Questions Why Police Forced Them to Protest at DPR

The University of Indonesia Student Executive Board (BEM UI) has responded to a statement by the Central Jakarta Metro Police Chief, who said they had not received official notification for the ‘Indonesia Towards Bankruptcy’ protest at the Bundaran HI roundabout on 12 June 2026. BEM UI Chair Yatalathof Ma’shum Imawan stated that the right to demonstrate is protected by the 1945 Constitution. “So it already fulfils the constitution, and it is called a notification of action. The obligation is merely to notify,” Athof told Tempo on Sunday, 14 June 2026. Athof said he had submitted a notification letter to the Central Jakarta Police via WhatsApp and received a response. On the other hand, Athof questioned the police claim that the BEM UI alliance’s action did not follow procedure. He instead questioned the police and found it strange why they forced the demonstration to be held at the DPR RI. “Why did the police force us to protest at the DPR? It’s funny, isn’t it? Not to mention blockading our mass of protesters from Friday prayers at Dukuh Atas. Enough, Sir, you say A but the reality is always B. Your trust is bankrupt, Sir,” he said. The Central Jakarta Metro Police stated that the demonstration by BEM UI and several campus elements in the Bundaran HI area was not preceded by the official submission of a notification letter to the police. Central Jakarta Metro Police Chief, Commissioner Reynold E.P Hutagalung, said his party did receive initial information regarding the protest plan via a WhatsApp message in the form of a PDF notification letter. “On Thursday, 11 June 2026, at around 02:56 WIB, we received initial information in the form of a PDF notification letter from a UI student. However, when further communication was made on Friday morning, the message received no response,” Reynold said in a written statement on Sunday, 14 June 2026. According to Reynold, in accordance with Article 10 of Law Number 9 of 1998 concerning Freedom to Express Opinions in Public, notification of an action must be delivered directly by the person responsible for the activity to the police. The notification letter must be received by the local police no later than 3 x 24 hours before the activity begins. “By regulation, the person responsible for the action is obliged to submit the notification letter directly to the police. Until the protest activity took place, we had not received any official notification letter,” he said. Nevertheless, the Central Jakarta Metro Police still provided security at the location to ensure the expression of aspirations proceeded safely and orderly. “We continue to provide security and service to the public. Expressing opinions in public is a citizen’s right, but its implementation must follow applicable rules so the situation remains conducive,” Reynold said. The mass from the BEM UI Alliance demonstrated in front of the Thamrin Nine Ballroom building, Central Jakarta, on Friday, 12 June 2026. The alliance was forced to protest at that location because they were blocked by the TNI and Police. There were five demands to be voiced by the Alliance: stop the waste of the state budget (APBN), lower the prices of basic necessities and fuel, halt the free nutritious meal programme (MBG) and the construction of the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives, stop militarism in the civilian sphere, and finally, for Prabowo to stop evading and acknowledge the government’s mistakes. The students who took part in the protest came from the BEM alliance of UI (BEM UI and 15 Faculty BEMs within UI), BEM KM IPB, BEM PNJ, BEM Pancasila University, the Gunadarma BEM Alliance, FMN Pusat, FMN UI, Pembebasan, and Semar UI.