UI Student Executive Body Mass Blocked by Security Forces at Semanggi

Members of the University of Indonesia Student Executive Board (BEM UI) were blocked by security forces in the Semanggi area, Central Jakarta, on Friday, 12 June 2026. The group intended to hold a protest titled ‘Towards a Bankrupt Indonesia’ at Bundaran HI, Central Jakarta, on Friday afternoon.

“It is true (the crowd was blocked by authorities),” said the Chairperson of the UI Faculty of Law Student Executive Board, Anandaku Dimas Rumi, when contacted on Friday, 12 June 2026.

Approximately 1,000 UI students were scheduled to participate in the ‘Towards a Bankrupt Indonesia’ action at Bundaran HI this afternoon. Since Friday morning, they had gathered at the FISIP UI parking lot in Depok, departing for Bundaran HI via several bus convoys.

Dimas stated that several hundred UI students were travelling by bus; however, they were intercepted by security personnel. As of now, there has been no further update regarding this interception. Tempo attempted to contact the Head of Public Relations for the Jakarta Metropolitan Police, Commissioner Budi Hermanto, regarding the matter, but he has yet to respond.

The Chairperson of BEM UI, Yatalathof Ma’shum Imawan, previously stated that the participating alliance includes the BEM UI alliance (comprising BEM UI and 15 UI Faculty BEMs), BEM KM IPB, BEM PNJ, BEM Universitas Pancasila, the Gunadarma BEM Alliance, FMN Pusat, FMN UI, Pembebasan, and Semar UI. “Several organisations and movement nodes that participated in the national consolidation at the UI Campus yesterday are still confirming their attendance and estimating the number of participants in tonight’s meeting,” said Athof.

Athof noted that there are five demands to be voiced, namely: an end to the wasteful spending of the State Budget (APBN), a reduction in the prices of basic necessities and fuel (BBM), a halt to the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Programme and the development of the Red and White Village Cooperatives (Koperasi Desa Merah Putih).

“Stop militarism in the civilian sphere, and finally, Prabowo must stop evading and acknowledge the government’s mistakes,” he added.