Student protest ends peacefully as crowd disperses

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Students from various universities in Jakarta, who held a protest on Jalan MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta, dispersed in an orderly manner during an action that ended peacefully on Friday.

The crowd dispersed after discussions with security personnel. They left the protest site at approximately 21:00 WIB.

The student protest had been underway since Friday afternoon. The group of students, wearing various university colours, arrived at around 14:30 WIB and attempted to enter the Bundaran HI area.

They conducted a long march from the Semanggi area to the Dukuh Atas area before being prevented from entering the Bundaran HI zone.

The protest, which lasted about seven hours, remained conducive, although tensions flared several times due to attempts to breach security perimeters.

The demonstration, which continued into the night, did not result in significant friction between officers and students, as security personnel provided space and engaged with the demonstrators.

After the students dispersed, security officers immediately cleared the protest site of bystanders and online motorcycle taxi drivers who had parked their vehicles by the roadside.