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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Conflict & Security

Police find weapons at student protest; student group denies affiliation

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Indonesian police found sharp weapons, including a knife and a machete, among participants of a student demonstration in Jakarta.
  • The student coordinator denied that the individuals carrying weapons were from the University of Indonesia (UI).
  • The demonstration protested the government's policies and demanded lower staple food prices and disaster recovery.

Police in Jakarta discovered sharp weapons, including a knife and a machete, among participants during a student demonstration on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. The protest, organized by the National Student Front, took place in the Sudirman area.

Demonstrators voiced criticism against the policies of the Prabowo-Gibran government, arguing they do not serve the public interest. They also demanded lower prices for basic necessities, an end to corruption-prone programs, the declaration of disasters in Sumatra and NTT as national disasters, and accelerated recovery efforts in affected areas.

Not UI students

— Hafidz Haernanda, BEM UI field coordinatorDenying that the students carrying weapons were from the University of Indonesia.

Hafidz Haernanda, the field coordinator for the student action from the University of Indonesia (UI) BEM, stated that organizers had repeatedly urged participants not to bring dangerous items. He specifically clarified that the individuals found with the weapons were not affiliated with UI. "Not UI students," Hafidz stated via text message on Wednesday, August 19.

Despite the police findings, the student organizers maintain they issued clear instructions against carrying weapons. The discovery of the knife and machete has added a layer of tension to the ongoing protests regarding government policies and economic concerns.

We always urge (them)

— Hafidz Haernanda, BEM UI field coordinatorAffirming that organizers consistently advised participants against bringing dangerous items.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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