Metro Police Release 101 People Detained During Labour Demo at DPR

Jakarta, Kompas.com - Metro Jaya Regional Police released 101 people who had previously been secured on suspicion of intending to incite riots during the International Labour Day or May Day commemoration in front of the DPR/MPR RI Building, Jakarta, on Friday (1/5/2026).

The Head of Public Relations of Metro Jaya Regional Police, Commissioner Pol Budi Hermanto, stated that hundreds of people who underwent intensive examination have been returned to their respective families.

“Last night, those 101 people have already gone home to their respective houses, picked up by their families and accompanied by LBH Jakarta,” Budi said via text message on Saturday (2/5/2026).

Police are currently still investigating a number of evidentiary items that are suspected to have been prepared to incite unrest.

“Of course, the items found, leaflets, and action plans remain under investigation by the Metro Jaya Regional Police’s Gakkum Task Force,” Budi said.

The secured evidentiary items include empty bottles, fire wick cloth, and petrol suspected to be assembled into Molotov cocktails.

Police also confiscated slingshots along with their ammunition, concrete nails, sharp weapons, communication devices, and cash amounting to around Rp 10 million.

However, when asked for further details regarding the suspicions, Budi has not provided a detailed explanation.

“Still under investigation,” he said briefly.

Previously, the General Criminal Investigation Directorate (Ditreskrimum) of Metro Jaya Regional Police arrested 101 people during the May Day action last Friday as a preventive measure against potential unrest.

Police suspect that the group deliberately came to infiltrate the labour action and incite conflict amid the demonstration crowd. The majority of them are said to be from outside Jakarta.

In addition, police also found slingshots along with ammunition, concrete nails, sharp weapons, communication devices, and cash amounting to around Rp 10 million.

Not only evidentiary items, police claim to have found documents containing a rundown or scenario of the suspected unrest. The document is said to contain arrival routes, gathering points, attack times, and escape routes for the group.