Why Protesters Stay at DPR Despite Pati Crowd Dispersing

Thousands of protesters continued to gather near the Jakarta parliament complex on Thursday afternoon, August 27, 2026, even as the United Pati Society Alliance (AMPB) crowd had already disbanded earlier in the day. Despite the AMPB's retreat, more people joined the protest, drawn by the diverse range of individuals at the DPR site. Protesters included women's alliances, ride-hailing drivers, college students, and high school students.

One protester, Alya Putri, joined the demonstration with friends she met on the social media platform Threads. Alya expressed her concern over government policies, particularly the free nutritious meal program under Prabowo's administration, which she claimed caused food poisoning incidents and reduced education budgets. Despite the apparent resolution of the AMPB crowd, Alya and others decided to stay late into the afternoon, citing unaddressed demands.

Rohan, a ride-hailing driver, known as an ojol driver, had been at the protest since 9:00 a.m. local time. He had earned around Rp100,000 (about US$5.6) by that point, and he expressed his dissatisfaction with the economic situation for people like him. He urged lawmakers to expedite the process of passing the Asset Seizure Bill, stating that they had been waiting for too long.

Rendiansyah, a student at Universitas Terbuka in Bogor, brought around two hundred students from his campus to the protest. He shared his skepticism about the DPR's promises, emphasizing that the lack of progress made him doubtful about the future. Despite the dispersal of the AMPB crowd, Rendiansyah and other students remained at the protest site, questioning the effectiveness of the current political strategy.