Police Deploy 1,031 Personnel to Escort BEM UI Demonstration in Gambir, Central Jakarta

Central Jakarta Metropolitan Police Resort deployed 1,031 combined personnel to secure the protest held by the University of Indonesia’s Student Executive Board (BEM UI) and several community elements in the Gambir area, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday (8/4). “We are present to serve the public in expressing their aspirations in a humane, professional manner, and in accordance with the rules,” said the Head of Central Jakarta Metropolitan Police Resort, Senior Commissioner Reynold E P Hutagalung, in Jakarta on Wednesday. According to him, the thousand personnel consist of combined forces from the Metro Jaya Regional Police, Police Resorts, and Police Sectors under its jurisdiction. He assured that the security is carried out with the principle of serving the public and respecting citizens’ constitutional rights to express opinions in public. “There are 1,031 combined personnel to handle the protest action,” he stated. Through its official Instagram account BEMUI_Official, BEM UI organised a solidarity action for KontraS activist Andrie Yunus, who became a victim of an acid attack. In its call, BEM UI stated that Andrie Yunus, along with a civil society coalition, is filing a Judicial Review lawsuit against the TNI Law, particularly Article 47. For this reason, BEM UI is ready to escort the lawsuit at the Constitutional Court by holding a protest action at the Back Gate of the Constitutional Court.