Police Open Blockade, Protesters Withdraw in Orderly Manner

Student and civil society protesters finally withdrew in an orderly manner after police opened a blockade on Jalan MH Thamrin, in front of the UOB Building, Central Jakarta, on Friday (12/6/2026) evening. Police opened the blockade at around 8.13 p.m. WIB, at which time TNI personnel who had been guarding the location also began to leave the security point. After the blockade was opened, police asked the crowd to disperse. The protesters initially refused and tried to move forward again, also requesting a meeting with government or DPR representatives to convey their demands directly. However, after discussions between protest representatives and Central Jakarta Police Chief Kombes Pol Reynold E.P. Hutagalung, participants eventually agreed to end the demonstration and withdraw from the location gradually. During the dispersal process, the number of students remaining at the site had significantly dwindled. A number of University of Indonesia (UI) students had already left the location at around 6.30 p.m. WIB. Moreover, the majority of those who remained were no longer wearing university jackets, instead donning online motorcycle taxi jackets or ordinary t-shirts, while student representatives in alma mater attire were no longer visible in the area. Although the crowd had not fully dispersed, conditions around the protest site gradually became conducive. Police remained on guard to secure the dispersal process and escort protesters who walked out of the demonstration area at around 8.36 p.m. WIB. They also cleaned up rubbish left on the streets from the protest. Tensions had briefly flared when TNI and police personnel blocked the protesters from moving towards the Bundaran HI area. Police pushed iron barriers towards the crowd, and protesters pushed back, resulting in a brief shoving match. Some individuals also threw used water bottles at police. However, the tension did not last long and the situation returned to calm. The protest, initiated by BEM UI, was originally scheduled for 1.00 p.m. at the Bundaran HI area. The demonstrators had five demands: stopping wasteful state spending, lowering staple food and fuel prices, halting the free nutritious meal programme (MBG) and the construction of Red and White Village Cooperatives, ending militarism in civilian affairs, and asking Prabowo to stop evading and to admit his mistakes. The students’ journey to the protest site was blocked by police, initially at Semanggi on Friday afternoon, where they were directed to protest in front of the DPR building. They then conducted a long march towards Bundaran HI but were again blocked by police and TNI personnel on Jalan MH Thamrin, in front of the UOB Building.