Police Explain TNI Involvement in Securing MH Thamrin Protest

The security operation for a protest on Jalan MH Thamrin, specifically in front of the UOB Building in Central Jakarta, on Friday (12/6/2026), was not solely conducted by the police. Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) personnel were also involved in restraining protesters attempting to move towards the Hotel Indonesia (HI) Roundabout.

The Head of Public Relations for the Metro Jaya Regional Police, Chief Commissioner Budi Hermanto, explained that Jakarta Gubernatorial Regulation Number 232 of 2015 stipulates several locations where demonstrations are prohibited. One of these is the HI Roundabout area.

“The Senayan Roundabout, Semanggi Roundabout, HI Roundabout, and Patung Kuda Roundabout are areas that are not permitted for the expression of public aspirations. This serves as education for the wider community,” he said at the HI Roundabout area on Friday afternoon.

He stated that these areas are traffic epicentres for the capital city and also serve as transportation nodes for Jakarta. Consequently, security measures are implemented in layers. “If congestion occurs, it impacts other arterial routes. The effects of this congestion impact other members of the public,” he said.

The protest, initiated by the University of Indonesia Student Executive Board (BEM UI), was scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. in the HI Roundabout area. The students had five demands: stopping the waste of the state budget, lowering the prices of staple goods and fuel, halting the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme and the development of the Red and White Village Cooperatives, ending militarism in the civilian sphere, and asking President Prabowo to stop evading responsibility and admit his mistakes.

However, the students’ journey to the protest location was blocked by police officers. The group was initially stopped in the Semanggi area on Friday afternoon and directed to hold their demonstration in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) building. Afterwards, the students conducted a long march towards the HI Roundabout area but were again blocked by police and TNI personnel on Jalan MH Thamrin, precisely in front of the UOB Building.