University of Indonesia Clarifies Viral Man Shouting at Police During Protest is Not Their Student
Jakarta – The University of Indonesia (UI) has confirmed that a man who went viral for shouting whilst pointing at a police officer during a demonstration in front of the national police headquarters is not a UI student.
The clarification was issued after a video showing the man wearing a yellow university jacket began circulating widely on social media and became linked to the university.
Erwin Agustian Panigoro, UI’s Director of Public Relations, Media, Government, and International Affairs, stated that the campus had conducted identity verification through various official sources, including the Executive Board of Students of the Faculty of Administrative Science (BEM FIA) UI and the Higher Education Data Database (PDDIKTI).
Based on these investigations, the man in the video was found to be registered as a student at a different higher education institution.
UI also expressed objection to the use of its yellow university jacket, which is distinctly associated with the campus’s identity. Erwin stated that the use of institutional attributes without authorisation could give rise to public misunderstanding.
“UI has also stated its objection to the use of institutional attributes or symbols without authority and without confirmation,” Erwin said.
According to UI, such actions could damage the institution’s reputation. “These actions have the potential to create public misunderstanding and damage the good name of the institution and unrelated parties,” he added.
UI further emphasised its rejection of provocative behaviour during protests, which it said does not reflect academic values such as integrity, critical reasoning, and respect for the law.
In the circulating video, the man wearing the yellow university jacket raises his index finger directly in front of the face of a police officer who remains unmoved. He is pulled back by colleagues but returns to express his frustration before being pulled away by other protesters.
After the demonstration, the man with the initials SB explained his actions. He claimed to recognise one of the police officers on duty.
According to SB, the police officer with the initials S had struck him during a demonstration in late August 2025. At that time, he said, the officer was not wearing the brown uniform as he was during the latest operation.