Reasons Protesters and Ambulance Driver Carried Sharp Weapons During Jakarta Demonstration

Polda Metro Jaya briefly confiscated sharp weapons, namely a knife and a machete, during a demonstration in Tosari, Central Jakarta, yesterday. The parties who had been carrying the sharp weapons have now been released.

“We are also conveying the findings after the public expression of aspirations. Last night we reported that one knife and one machete were found,” said Polda Metro Jaya Head of Public Relations, Commissioner Budi Hermanto, on Wednesday (19/8/2026).

“The objects were confiscated from two people, namely one protest participant and one ambulance driver. Both have now been released,” he explained.

The legal status of the sharp weapon owners remains that of witnesses. Budi explained the reasons the owners brought the sharp weapons to the demonstration site.

“For the knife, it is believed that the person concerned had it in his bag because he had just finished a community service programme (KKN). As for the ambulance driver, the machete was indeed provided by the ambulance company for the journey from Sukabumi to Jakarta, but it was not used for any other purposes,” he stated.

Previously, police found a kitchen knife and a machete during the demonstration in Tosari. Budi said the two sharp objects were discovered when the Law Enforcement Task Force became suspicious of several people during the action.