What Are BEM UI's Eight Demands in Jakarta's HI Roundabout Protest?

Students from the University of Indonesia (BEM UI) are set to protest at Jakarta's Hotel Indonesia Roundabout on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. The demonstration, scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Western Indonesia Time, follows a departure from the UI campus in Depok at 11 a.m. Authorities are advising motorists to seek alternative routes due to anticipated traffic disruptions.

The protest occurs just one day after Indonesia's 81st Independence Day. BEM UI stated the demonstration is not a celebration but a platform to question the meaning of independence for Indonesians today. The students intend to raise critical issues regarding the nation's social and economic conditions, alongside government policies.

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We depart from UI (Depok) at 11:00. We arrive at HI at 13:00.

BEM UI President Yatalathof Imawan confirmed the protest's schedule and its purpose: to provide a space for students to scrutinize the state of independence 81 years after the country's declaration. The organization has put forth eight specific demands.

These demands include ending state oppression and corruption, collusion, and nepotism (KKN). They also call for genuine agrarian reform, lower prices for basic necessities and fuel, and a review of National Strategic Projects (PSN). Further demands address the centralization of power, regional autonomy, disaster recovery in Sumatra and Flores, and an end to military and police intervention in civic affairs.

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Residents can look for alternative routes while the protest is taking place.