Mystery of Gunfire and Tear Gas Sounds During Student Protests at Yogyakarta Police HQ: Police Deny Claims

YOGYAKARTA - A protest demonstration in front of the Yogyakarta Regional Police Headquarters (Polda) on the evening of Tuesday, 24 February 2026, ended in disorder. A demonstration mass representing various elements of society and students escalated after breaching the eastern gate of the Regional Police headquarters, with explosive sounds emerging that sparked panic and caused the crowd to scatter in fear.

Regarding the explosive sounds, Kombes Pol Ihsan, Head of Public Relations at Yogyakarta Regional Police, provided clarification. He firmly refuted circulating reports of tear gas or warning fire from officers. “We emphasise that this information is incorrect,” he stated in a statement released on Wednesday, 25 February 2026, in the early morning hours.

He also clarified that throughout the security operation, officers were not equipped with weapons. “And we emphasise that during the security operation, our officers were not equipped with weapons. The sounds heard at the location came from firecrackers brought by the protest crowd,” he said.

Despite the brief disorder, Ihsan assured that the situation at Yogyakarta Police Headquarters is currently safe and under control. Traffic flow has returned to normal, and the general situation in the Special Region of Yogyakarta is conducive. Yogyakarta Regional Police urge the public not to be easily influenced by unverified information and to maintain public order and security together.