Police Block Hardiknas Demonstration Crowd from Reaching Palace

Police blocked the progress of the crowd from the Indonesian Student Executive Board Alliance (BEM SI) towards the State Palace. The BEM SI crowd and the Central Jakarta Metropolitan Police Resort clashed when students tried to break through the police barricade line during a National Education Day (Hardiknas) commemoration action. The demonstration at the Patung Kuda area in Central Jakarta was joined by at least three student alliances. Besides BEM SI, there were the Alliance of Student Senate of State Islamic Religious Universities (Sema PTKIN) throughout Indonesia and the Student Executive Board of Muhammadiyah and Aisyiyah Higher Education Institutions Indonesia (BEM PTMAI). Based on Tempo’s observations, police barricades complete with iron fences were installed on Jalan Merdeka Selatan, right in front of the Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) Tower. The students then tried to push the police line to continue their journey towards the Presidential Palace. The crowd wanted government representatives to meet them directly. “Open, open, open the door. Open the door right now,” said action participants while singing, on Saturday, 2 May 2026. In addition to attempting to break the barricade, some action participants burned tyres. Police then responded by spraying light fire extinguishers (APAR). Students at the front line scattered briefly. Soon after, they advanced again and engaged in direct clashes with the police. They were seen pushing each other and attempting to hit one another. The demonstrating student elements today marked National Education Day, which falls every 2 May. They carried yellow flags identical to death markers inscribed with “R.I.P (Rest in Peace) Education” to “Free Poisonous Meals”. Besides yellow flags, action participants carried BEM identity banners and various posters. Some posters read “Pitch Black Education” and “Education only considered as livestock”. “Eight times we change presidents, but eight times we fail to solve education problems,” said one orator from the command vehicle. BEM SI brought 10 demands in this Hardiknas demonstration. Among them are reforms in education budget management as well as separation of public education budgets from vocational ones and halting excessive commercialisation of education.