Residents gather at Transjakarta skydeck to watch Bundaran HI protest

Jakarta - A number of residents waited to watch a demonstration at the Bundaran HI roundabout from the open-air skydeck of the Bundaran HI Astra Transjakarta bus stop in Central Jakarta on Friday.

At the location, the number of onlookers had been steadily increasing since 2 p.m. Western Indonesia Time as they awaited the protest action in the centre of Jakarta.

Since morning, police officers had been visible guarding the area around Bundaran HI, as well as public transport facilities such as the Transjakarta bus stop and the MRT station.

“I have been waiting since 11 a.m. It turns out University of Indonesia students are still held up at Semanggi,” said a resident named Andi at the Bundaran HI Astra Transjakarta bus stop on Friday.

Traffic flow around Bundaran HI remained smooth with no congestion observed. Public transport services including Transjakarta and the MRT continued to operate normally into the afternoon.

Meanwhile, several student groups were conducting a public expression of opinion in the Central Jakarta area today. The Metro Jaya Regional Police had placed 4,151 joint personnel on standby to escort and secure the action.

Regarding traffic flow around the Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan and Monas areas, police had prepared situational traffic diversions.

One of the regulations governing demonstrations is Law Number 9 of 1998 on the Freedom to Express Opinions in Public. Demonstrations may be held in places open to the public. However, there are several locations where expressing opinions in public is prohibited, including the presidential palace grounds, places of worship, military installations, hospitals, air or sea ports, railway stations, land transport terminals, and national vital objects.