Protesters Rally at OT Building Over Qur'an Memorisation Challenge for Alcohol

A coalition of mass organisations held a protest in front of the Orang Tua (OT) Building in Cengkareng, West Jakarta, on Friday afternoon (14/8/2026). The demonstrators were reacting to a challenge that involved reciting surahs from the Qur’an in exchange for a bottle of alcohol. The crowd, guided by a command vehicle, began arriving at 1.40 pm local time, with participants wearing attributes of groups such as the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), Bang Japar, BPPKB Banten, and the Betawi Rempug Forum (FBR).

Syahrul Ahadi, a representative from FPI, stated that the protesters were demanding a direct apology from the OT Group management. He expressed hope that a public apology would calm the anger of Muslims who felt offended by the incident. Newport Director Handoko Sasongko subsequently met the crowd and offered a profound apology for the alleged religious blasphemy. He noted that the case had already entered the legal domain and urged all parties to await the outcome of the judicial process. The demonstration caused traffic congestion on the Outer Ring Road heading towards the OT Building, with vehicles reduced to a single lane.

Police had previously named four suspects in connection with the challenge, which occurred during The Sounds Project music festival in Ancol, North Jakarta. Two of the suspects, identified as RES and AK, were arrested and are being detained for 20 days. RES allegedly acted as the master of ceremonies and interacted with the crowd at the booth, while another suspect recited a surah over a loudspeaker. The suspects face charges under articles relating to religious blasphemy in the Criminal Code. The event organiser, The Sounds Project, condemned the incident, stating it was neither authorised nor part of the event’s programming, and has reprimanded the sponsor involved.