Police Name 13 Suspects in May Day Riot in Bandung, One of Whom is Anarchist Leader

The Directorate of General Criminal Investigation (Ditreskrimum) of the West Java Regional Police has named 13 people involved in the riot during the May Day action in Bandung as suspects. They carried out anarchic actions, damaging and burning a police post, videotron, and public facilities in Cikapayang and Tamansari, Bandung City. The suspects are initialled FN, FA, HI, RS, CA, RR alias Mpe, I, D, HR, RA, MI, S, and RN. They are part of the “Bandung Selatan ayaan” group, with RR alias Mpe as the Anarko leader. “We have analysed that there are several dominant groups (carrying out the riot actions),” said the Director of General Criminals of the West Java Police, Commissioner Ade Sapari, on Tuesday (12/5/2026). He said they were involved in the riot actions and damage to public facilities. That group oversees other groups in Baleendah and Banjaran, which is still being investigated. “The person in question (RR) has the role as the Anarko Leader. The Anarko Leader then gave money to the other suspects for making Molotov cocktails and logistics, helmets,” he said. Ade said the suspects damaged several public facilities such as police posts, videotrons, shops, and traffic lights in the Cikapayang and Tamansari areas of Bandung City. They damaged them using Molotov bombs and other objects. Ade said the suspects face layered charges under articles 308, 409, and 262 of the Criminal Code with a maximum prison sentence of nine years. His side will continue to thoroughly uncover the case. The Head of Public Relations of the West Java Police, Commissioner Hendra Rochmawan, said the suspects had different roles in carrying out the anarchic actions, from planning, making Molotov cocktails, gathering masses, to carrying out arson at the scene. They used glass bottles filled with petrol mixed with styrofoam and fitted with cloth wicks to make Molotov cocktails. “These actions caused fires to public facilities and endangered the safety of the public around the incident location,” he revealed. His side also seized several medicines such as alprazolam, clonazepam, methylphenidate, tramadol, trihexyphenidyl, and hexymer from several suspects. As well as several mobile phones, social media accounts, motorcycles, police batons, notebooks, kerosene jerry cans, and cash.