Students Point and Shout at Police During Protest at National Police Headquarters
Jakarta – A student protester pointed and shouted at a police officer during a demonstration in front of the National Police headquarters (Mabes Polri) in South Jakarta on Friday, 27 February 2026. The police officer, identified as A and wearing a white cap and sorban, remained unmoved as the student, SB, wearing a yellow university jacket, pointed his finger directly at his face. Beside him, another student attempted to pull SB’s bag backwards, but SB shook off the attempt and returned to confront the officer.
SB claimed to have previously encountered officer A during a demonstration in late August 2025. During that incident, he alleged that the officer had struck him when he tried to enter the GBK Arena area and questioned the officer’s identity. According to SB, the officer pushed him, knocked him to the ground, and beat him without responding to his inquiry.
“Before Affan Kurniawan was run over, I wanted to enter the GBK Arena with 12 friends. He checked me, I asked ‘Are you a police officer?’ He didn’t answer, he just pushed me, knocked me down, and beat me,” SB explained to reporters after the protest.
SB recalled the officer’s face and stated that he possessed video footage documenting the officer’s features. Other police officers assisted SB in standing up after the alleged assault.
Kombes Pol Budi Hermanto, Head of Public Relations for the Metro Jaya Police Region, expressed regret over the incident and noted that some student protesters had insulted police officers and written inappropriate remarks on police sorban scarves.
The demonstration at National Police headquarters commenced at 4:00 PM and dispersed around 7:00 PM without any violent incidents. Protesters demanded severe punishment for Brimob members who allegedly assaulted a child with a helmet in Tual, Maluku. They also called for the removal of the National Police Chief (Kapolri) and the Maluku Regional Police Chief (Kapolda) as accountability for the incident. Additional demands included restrictions on police officers holding strategic positions in civilian government institutions and implementation of comprehensive police reforms.