21 Arrested Ahead of BEM UI Protest at HI Roundabout
Police arrested 21 protesters for allegedly carrying Molotov cocktails.
The Jakarta Metropolitan Police arrested 21 individuals on suspicion of attempting to incite a riot ahead of a student protest at the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. Senior Commissioner Budi Hermanto confirmed the arrests, stating that the suspects were found carrying dangerous items such as flares and materials for Molotov cocktails at various locations near the protest site.
According to Budi, these individuals are not affiliated with the student group organizing the protest, which aimed to gather and incite conflict between security personnel and the demonstrators. The arrested suspects are currently being questioned at the Jakarta Metropolitan Police's General Criminal Investigation Directorate.
The University of Indonesia Student Executive Board, along with other student groups, held a protest titled "Reclaiming Independence" the same afternoon, one day after Indonesia's independence celebrations. BEM UI Chairperson Yatalathof Ma shum Imawan explained that the protesters were not celebrating the independence but rather questioning the nature of the independence being celebrated.
He highlighted that sovereignty has been compromised through trade agreements favoring foreign interests, and that people's voices are being silenced while critical groups are being arrested arbitrarily by authorities.
Written by urgent.news from Tempo.co English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
