Fact check: Bulldozer video misrepresents protest response in Jakarta

A video circulating on social media platforms falsely claims that four bulldozers were deployed to the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) building to counter a protest on August 27, 2026. The accompanying text suggests the vehicles were ready to move once the Asset Forfeiture Bill was passed.

However, Tempo's fact-checking investigation has debunked this claim. Reverse image searches, geolocation, and verification with credible sources confirm that the footage does not depict heavy equipment being sent to the protest site. Instead, the video was recorded in Jambi in October 2025 and shows trucks transporting heavy equipment, not bulldozers.

The video's location was identified as Jalan Lintas Sumatera, Simpang Muara, Bungo Regency, Jambi Province, with visual elements like billboards and shop houses matching Google Street View imagery from 2025. The original footage of the convoy was uploaded by a TikTok account from Jambi in October 2025.

During the August 27, 2026, protest at the DPR RI building, organized by the Pati United Community Alliance, police deployed armored vehicles equipped with water cannons and tactical vehicles. Officers used water cannons and tear gas from within the Senayan complex to disperse the crowd, a response entirely different from the bulldozers depicted in the viral video.