Fact Check: Did Masses Gather at Jakarta's Monas for the August 27 Protest?
Fact Check: Did Masses Gather at Jakarta’s Monas for the August 27 Protest?
Reporter
August 28, 2026 | 12:57 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Dozens of accounts on X [archive] and Facebook (account 1, account 2 ) uploaded a video of a mass gathering on August 26, 2026. The video was claimed to show a mass gathering at the National Monument (Monas) in Jakarta to prepare for a protest at the Parliament (DPR) building on August 27, 2026.
The video shows thousands of people crowding the Monas square. A large screen stands in the middle of the square playing a particular video. Was the video a preparation of the masses to protest on August 27, 2026?
FACT CHECK
Tempo’s Fact Check team verified the content using reverse image search and tracing credible media. As a result, the thousands of people crowding Monas in the video were not gathering to prepare for a protest.
An identical video was previously uploaded on Facebook by Bundanya Fauzan and Amirullah on August 17, 2026. The clip was also uploaded on TikTok by Kim-Sary on the same date. The video captured the atmosphere of the 81st Indonesian Independence Day Celebration at Monas on August 17, 2026.
The festive atmosphere in the evening was also broadcast live on the Presidential Secretariat YouTube account. People running toward the stage can be seen from the 53:59 mark onwards. According to Inews.com, the Independence Day Celebration was crowded with thousands of people, causing severe traffic jams around Monas.
August 27 Protest
The protest on August 27, 2026, at the DPR building was held by the United Pati Society Alliance (AMPA). The protesters carried two demands: the enactment of the Asset Forfeiture Bill and the imposition of the harshest penalties for corruptors.
A total of 18,504 security personnel were deployed to protect the protest site. Tens of thousands of officers were spread across six security zones, with the security center located right in front of the Parliament building.
The protesters dispersed after representatives of the alliance mediated with the legislative leaders. According to Tempo’s observations, the crowd began moving away from the protest site towards the parking area at around 12:30 p.m. to return to Pati.
CONCLUSION
The claim that the masses were preparing to protest on August 27 is misleading.
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