Viking Chairman and ITB Rector Meet After Social Media Row
Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) has responded to viral social media posts that labelled Bobotoh, supporters of Persib Bandung football club, as ‘hama’. ITB Rector Tatacipta Dirgantara expressed regret over provocative tweets from an unofficial ITBFess account targeting Persib fans.
“I sincerely apologise for the social media uproar. We know that online life can spiral into a snowball effect, impacting communal harmony,” he stated in a video message on Tuesday (26 May).
During a meeting with Bobotoh representatives, he stressed that ITB does not intend to antagonise Persib supporters. He disapproved of the account’s statements, affirming that ITB has campus regulations and ethics in place.
“We wholly reject, regret, and condemn such provocative, inciting, and divisive remarks,” he said. “These do not reflect civil academic culture. We are one big family; let us work together to make Bandung a safe, conducive city where we can live peacefully and harmoniously.”
Viking Persib Club Chairman Tobias Ginanjar urged the public, particularly Bobotoh, not to be provoked by irresponsible posts. He noted that many within ITB’s community are also Persib supporters.
“The rector is a Bobotoh, the vice-rector is a Bobotoh, the deans are Bobotoh too. So claims that ITB is against Bobotoh are false,” he said.
Ginanjar welcomed ITB’s commitment to take strict action against those spreading provocative narratives under internal regulations. “We agree such actions are unacceptable. The rector mentioned that disciplinary measures would be taken even before our meeting,” he added.
A viral post on the ITBFess social media account previously highlighted vandalism at ITB’s entrance gate following a Bobotoh convoy on 24 May 2026. The issue gained traction after @mengsans shared a screen recording.
The convoy celebrated Persib’s third consecutive Liga Indonesia title. The post then escalated into inflammatory comments labelling Bobotoh as ‘hama’ and racist remarks, prompting reactions from supporters. ITB became embroiled in the controversy as the anonymous account was linked to the campus.
The account is now inaccessible; searching ‘ITBFess’ redirects to a Persib Bandung-related portal.