Police Block BEM UBK Protesters at Tugu Tani Area

Personnel from the Central Jakarta Metro Resort Police blocked the movement of protesters from the Bung Karno University Student Executive Board (BEM UBK) who were planning to hold a demonstration in the Tugu Tani area, Central Jakarta. Based on Tempo’s observations at the scene, the police carried out the blockade by forming a human barricade that closed off the entire Tugu Tani road heading towards Medan Merdeka Timur. The blockade was met with pushing and shoving by the students. “Open up! We only want to convey the people’s aspirations!” the students shouted at the officers on guard on Monday, 15 June 2026. The blockade temporarily paralysed traffic flow in the Tugu Tani area for over ten minutes. Subsequently, the BEM UBK action coordinator attempted to negotiate with the police officers on duty. BEM UBK questioned the police’s action of blocking the protesters’ movement towards the Patung Kuda area. “What is the reason we are prohibited from going there? The constitution guarantees freedom of expression,” said BEM UBK Coordinator M. Abdi Maludin. In today’s demonstration, BEM UBK and its alliance carried the theme ‘Reordering Indonesia’, bringing six demands for the administration of President Prabowo Subianto. The six demands include temporarily suspending and evaluating the free nutritious meal project and the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives, and reviewing the Police Law. They also demand an end to militarism and the upholding of civilian supremacy, urge the government to take strategic steps to maintain the stability of the rupiah exchange rate and national economic resilience, and demand the government provide inclusive, high-quality, and affordable education rights for all Indonesian people. “Lastly, we demand that the government review the increase in fuel prices because it burdens the public,” Abdi stated. Regarding the escalation in protester numbers, Abdi said that internally BEM UBK estimated the crowd at around 200 people. However, with the joining of several other campus organisations, the number of protesters was certain to increase. The ‘Reordering Indonesia’ demonstration stemmed from the results of internal consolidation and studies by the BEM at UBK, which view the country’s condition as being in decline. This condition, Abdi said, can be seen in the emergence of various demands, from the discourse of ‘Reformasi Jilid 2’ to actions demanding the free nutritious meal programme be halted. Previously, a student demonstration was also held by the University of Indonesia BEM alliance on Friday, 12 June 2026. The action, planned for the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout area, failed to take place after the protesters were blocked by joint TNI-Polri officers in the Jalan MH. Thamrin-Sudirman area. Police reasoned that the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout area is not permitted to be a demonstration site, citing a Jakarta Governor Regulation that designates the area as a business and traffic epicentre.