Three Students Briefly Detained During Violent Protest at DIY Regional Police Headquarters, Now Released

Three Students Briefly Detained During Rowdy Protest at the DIY Regional Police Headquarters, Now Released

• Photo courtesy of the DIY Regional Police

VIVA – A protest held in front of the Yogyakarta Special Region (DIY) Regional Police Headquarters on Tuesday evening, 24 February 2026, turned violent. Protesters damaged the eastern fence of the DIY Regional Police Headquarters, causing it to collapse and injure several police officers who were providing security. Three students were briefly detained during the protest.

The protest, which was joined by hundreds of students in Yogyakarta, was a strong expression of outrage over the death of a student from a Madrasah (Islamic school) in Tual, Maluku, who was allegedly mistreated by members of the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) on 19 February 2026.

The protesters blocked roads, causing several shops around the DIY Regional Police Headquarters to close. The situation escalated as night fell, with protesters damaging the eastern fence of the DIY Regional Police Headquarters until it collapsed, prompting cheers from the crowd.

The demonstrators then threw various objects into the grounds of the DIY Regional Police Headquarters, including lifting the collapsed fence and throwing it towards the barbed wire barricade guarded by officers inside the grounds. The incident caused several police officers to fall after being hit by the metal fence.

“We regret that the protest turned violent and involved damage to the eastern fence of the DIY Regional Police Headquarters,” said the Head of Public Relations (Kabidhumas) of the DIY Regional Police, Commissioner Pol. Ihsan, in a statement on Tuesday evening.

The Head of Public Relations assured that the overall situation was brought under control by officers on the ground, thanks to the synergy between the police and the community. Ihsan confirmed that the police officers on duty continued to prioritise a persuasive approach, without using tear gas or sharp weapons.

“We would like to emphasise that during the security operation, officers were not armed. The sounds heard at the scene came from firecrackers brought by the protesters,” said Commissioner Pol. Ihsan.

Commissioner Ihsan added that during the security operation for the violent protest, the DIY Regional Police briefly detained three students and returned them to their respective university administrations after coordinating with the university authorities.

“During the event, three students were briefly detained, but all three were handed over directly tonight, around 10:30 PM, we handed them over to the university authorities, after we had communicated with them to pick up their students, who have now left the DIY Regional Police Headquarters,” he said.