Six Students Injured During Protest at Gramedia Intersection, Yogyakarta
A demonstration held under the name of the Civil Society Alliance at the Gramedia Four-Way Intersection, Yogyakarta, on Tuesday (1/9/2026) night, resulted in friction between the protesters and several local residents.
The tension during the protest caused several participants to suffer injuries and health issues. At least six students were reported to have received treatment at Panti Rapih Hospital, Yogyakarta.
Information regarding the six students undergoing treatment circulated on social media. They reportedly suffered various conditions, ranging from trauma and shortness of breath to lacerations and bruising on several parts of their bodies.
The six students include Naila Arrifqi, a 2024 Law student at UGM, who reportedly experienced trauma and shortness of breath. A similar condition was experienced by Madanastra Mana, a 2024 Philosophy student at UGM.
Furthermore, Muhamad Zaky, a student from Yogyakarta State University (UNY), was reported to have bruising on his temple. Mega Theresia Narwadan, a Philosophy student at UGM, reportedly sustained a laceration on her forehead. Syarifah Khadizah Al Maghraby, a 2025 Social and Political Sciences student at UGM, suffered a laceration on her lip, while Zidan, a 2024 Philosophy student at UGM, sustained bruises to his temple, abdomen, and the back of his head.
The exact cause of the injuries sustained by the six students remains unknown. Similarly, their current condition following medical treatment requires further confirmation from the hospital or relevant parties.
The protest, which began in the afternoon, continued into the night. At approximately 20:40 WIB, several residents approached the crowd and requested that the protesters disperse, as the road closures were deemed to be disrupting traffic and causing long congestion in Yogyakarta.
However, the protesters chose to remain and continue their orations. This difference in stance escalated into verbal altercations and pushing between the demonstrators and residents.
The protesters were pushed back towards the north, towards Jalan Cik Ditiro. Police officers on the scene subsequently established a cordon to separate the two groups to prevent the clash from spreading.
During the situation, a participant was heard calling for help from the authorities, shouting, “Officer, I have been hit.”
Other shouts were heard from within the crowd, requesting that authorities anticipate residents who were alleged to be carrying sharp weapons. However, the veracity of the information regarding sharp weapons has not been confirmed.
Demands Voiced
During the protest, the crowd presented two main demands: “bring down the regime today” and “withdraw Indonesian colonialism from its peripheral colonies.”
The Chairperson of the Universitas Gadjah Mada Student Union (SEMA UGM), Mesa, stated that the root of the nation’s current problems stems from policies born from the current regime’s leadership.
“There are many problems that cannot be listed one by one. Rather than having many demands—perhaps up to 200 demands—it is better to simplify them to the root cause, which is the current regime,” said Mesa.
In addition to leadership issues, the crowd highlighted disaster management, natural resource management, the state budget, the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme, and the Merah Putih Village Cooperative. They also criticised several government political promises that are deemed unfulfilled, including those related to education, fuel (BBM), and public transport.
Disaster management was also a focal point of the protest. According to Mesa, the government needs to improve disaster management governance and determine budget priorities that are more aligned with the needs of the community.
The crowd also argued that the large budget allocated for certain government programmes should be compared with other needs, including education and disaster management.
“The disaster budget remains minimal, even though Indonesia has experienced at least four major disasters this year. The subsidies for the people previously promised by Prabowo-Gibran, free education budgets, free fuel, and free public transport—all of these are lies,” they stated.