Reasons Behind BEM UI's 'Salemba Berseru' Event

The University of Indonesia’s Student Executive Body (BEM UI) held a symbolic action titled ‘Salemba Berseru: Seni Lawan Tirani’ (Salemba Calls Out: Art Against Tyranny) at the Faculty of Medicine campus in Jakarta on Sunday, 12 July 2026. The event featured orations from student activists, musical performances, and an art exhibition. BEM UI Vice Chairperson Fathimah Azzahra explained that the Salemba campus holds historical significance for the student movement, having served as a gathering point for thousands of students before they marched to the House of Representatives building in Senayan in 1998. During that era, she noted, students demanded the people’s rights that were absent under the Soeharto regime. ‘They asked the authorities, and the core question remains the same: for whom do you rule?’ she said in her oration. More than two decades later, she argued, the public’s question to those in power remains unchanged, with citizens still questioning the allegiance of the government now led by Prabowo Subianto. ‘That question remains unanswered. The faces and names change, but we still question the motive. For whom do you rule?’ Fathimah stated. Head of BEM UI’s Action and Propaganda Department, Albani Ilmi, said the Salemba campus was chosen to symbolise that the country is not in good shape. Amid the chaos caused by government policies, he said, the student movement is calling for public solidarity. Salemba Berseru is part of a series of BEM UI agendas following a demonstration in the Bundaran HI area in mid-June. Prior to this symbolic action, BEM UI had also conducted outreach and campaigns on national issues at a car-free day area in late June. The action was attended not only by UI academics but also by student movement organisations from other universities, including Universitas Gadjah Mada, Institut Pertanian Bogor, and Universitas Diponegoro, who also delivered orations. Albani expressed hope that Salemba Berseru would ignite student movements across the regions to revive the spirit of being agents of change. He voiced particular concern about the potential peak of Indonesia’s social, political, and economic crisis in August. ‘August is the month when state debt matures and discussions on the 2027 State Budget take place,’ Albani said. Under the administration of Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka, BEM UI is focusing on fiscal policy governance, which he described as severely mismanaged. He cited the implementation of the free nutritious meal programme, which saw corruption at the leadership level, and the militaristic nature of the ‘Red and White Village Cooperatives’ as examples. ‘BEM UI’s tagline has always been Towards Indonesia’s Bankruptcy. We believe this bankruptcy will truly happen in August,’ he said.