Police arrest suspected anarchists in Bandung

West Java Regional Police arrested several people suspected of being anarchists following the commotion during the International Labour Day (May Day) 2026 commemorations in Bandung City on Friday. West Java Police Chief Inspector General Rudi Setiawan said the arrests were carried out as part of law enforcement against parties suspected of being involved in the action. “There are (those arrested). Well, we cannot yet provide details on who was secured, evidence items, and other actions,” Rudi said. He explained that the commotion occurred in the Tamansari Street to Cikapayang area in the afternoon to evening and was marked by vandalism and the burning of public facilities. According to him, the group dressed in all black involved in the commotion was not related to expressing aspirations, but purely carried out destruction leading to criminal acts. Several public facilities were reported damaged, including traffic lights, surveillance cameras (CCTV), police posts, videotrons, and kiosks suspected of being burned. “This is a criminal act and we are obliged to protect the public,” he said. “We are still investigating the motive. Clearly, this is not an action to express opinions; what happened was destruction,” Rudi added.