Pork Traders and Consumers Protest at Medan Mayor's Office

A group of pork traders and consumers held a demonstration at the Medan Mayor’s Office. The protest was sparked by the issuance of a circular letter from the Medan Mayor regarding the arrangement of locations and management of non-halal meat waste in the city.

The circular letter, number 500.7.1/1540 dated February 13, 2026, has drawn criticism from pork traders and consumers in Medan.

“From the title alone, the circular letter is discriminatory, with the term ‘non-halal’ in it. If the intention is to regulate, it should apply to all, not just non-halal meat,” said the coordinator of the action, Lamsiang Sitompul, in an interview.

Lamsiang stated that the issuance of the circular letter is considered inappropriate because non-halal meat waste is not hazardous waste.

“When talking about waste, the mayor should also learn from the environmental agency. The most dangerous waste is hazardous waste, oil, chemicals, and toxic substances, including medical waste. We are not sure if hospitals in Medan comply with the management of this waste,” said the chairman of Horas Bangso Batak.

Lamsiang said that most traders sell independently in front of their homes. He also regretted that the Medan City Government only focuses on traders who sell on the roadside.

“Many other traders sell on sidewalks and along the streets, not just non-halal meat traders,” he explained.

He hopes that the circular letter can be revoked because, according to him, there are still many things that need the attention of the Medan City Government.

“Regarding the urgency, this is not an urgent matter. There are more serious problems in Medan, including floods that claim lives, as well as drugs, corruption, and public services. Those should be addressed first, not other issues,” he said.

Meanwhile, the protesters also hope that the Mayor of Medan, Rico Waas, will meet with them. However, the Medan City Government asked representatives of the protesters to enter the City Government office for an audience.

For information, the Medan City Government had denied the issue of the ban. According to them, the circular letter only regulates the location of the sale of non-halal meat or pork.