Police Block Students Protesting at Jakarta's HI Roundabout

Student protesters affiliated with the Student Executive Board of the University of Indonesia (BEM UI) were prevented by police from reaching the HI Roundabout in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. A command vehicle carrying the demonstrators was ordered to turn back, an instruction the students refused, citing potential traffic violations.

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It's a one-way traffic, Pak, we don't want to violate the law.

The police maintained that the HI Roundabout, a hub of mobility and business, should not be a site for protests that could disrupt public activities. Hundreds of officers, along with a command vehicle and high fences, were deployed to block access to the area for the #MerebutKemerdekaan (Reclaim Independence) rally.

This blockade mirrors previous actions, as similar obstructions occurred during a BEM UI protest on June 12 at the same location. Fathimah Azzahra, deputy chair of BEM UI, deemed the police's insistence on forcing the command vehicle to reverse unreasonable, especially noting the presence of police vehicles within the HI Roundabout area.

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Meanwhile, the police parked their command vehicles there (in the HI Roundabout area).

The police presence caused traffic disruptions, with passenger buses caught in the extended blockade, leading to brief tensions. Protesters reported instances of police pulling students from the busway lane, prompting demands for the police to cease repressive actions. BEM UI chair Yatalathof Ma'shum Imawan stated that the protest aimed to question the nature of independence being celebrated, rather than merely commemorate it. The group presented eight demands to the Prabowo-Gibran government, calling for an end to state repression against civilians, a halt to the construction of Territorial Development Infantry Battalions, and a review of national strategic projects, alongside an end to specific meal and cooperative programs.

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But to ask loudly, what kind of independence are we celebrating?