Jakarta police block students from protesting at HI Roundabout

Police and military personnel blocked students attempting to protest at the HI Roundabout in Central Jakarta on June 12, 2026. The demonstration, organized by the Student Executive Council of the University of Indonesia (BEM UI) and involving students from Jakarta and surrounding areas, was met with police intervention.

Instead of allowing the protest at the HI Roundabout, police directed students to demonstrate at the DPR RI complex or the National Monument's Horse Statue. Head of Public Relations for the Jakarta Metropolitan Police, Commissioner Grand Budi Hermanto, stated that the HI Roundabout is not a designated area for expressing grievances. "That location is not a place designated for the delivery of aspirations," Budi told reporters on Friday, June 12, 2026.

Police referenced Jakarta Provincial Regulation Number 232 of 2015 on the Control of Public Expression in Open Spaces. Budi emphasized that the HI Roundabout is a central hub for community activities and business, and a critical traffic artery. Demonstrations there, he argued, could disrupt the interests of the wider community. Central Jakarta Police Chief Commissioner Grand Reynold E.P. Hutagalung added that BEM UI had not submitted an official notification letter for the HI Roundabout action. He mentioned that police received informal coordination via a PDF document on Thursday, June 11, 2026, but subsequent attempts to communicate and verify with the organizers received no response.

Reynold cited Article 10 of Law Number 9 of 1998 on Freedom of Public Expression, which requires protest organizers to submit a written and formal notification letter to the police at least 3x24 hours before the event. This is crucial for risk management and ensuring public safety. Despite this, no official physical notification was received. However, Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung stated that BEM UI is welcome to hold its protest at the HI Roundabout, affirming that the right to express opinions is a fundamental aspect of democracy guaranteed by law.