{
  "id": 1389306,
  "title": "Indonesians Queue from 2 a.m. to Attend Independence Day Ceremony at Merdeka Palace",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/indonesians-queue-from-2-a-m-to-attend-independence-day-ceremony-at",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-17T01:05:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tempo.co English",
    "slug": "tempo-co-english",
    "url": "https://en.tempo.co/read/2117657/indonesians-queue-from-2-a-m-to-attend-independence-day-ceremony-at-merdeka-palace"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Indonesians began queuing from 2 a.m. on Monday to attend the 81st Independence Day Anniversary ceremony at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. Some had even started at 2:00 a.m., according to Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, who observed the long lines while touring the palace. Citizens from South Sulawesi and Kebumen, Central Java, among others, revealed they had arrived at Gambir Station by 1 a.m. before heading to the event.\n\nUpon questioning, one South Sulawesi resident explained they began queuing at 2 a.m., while a Kebumen resident stated they had traveled from their home to Gambir Station at 1 a.m. Teddy then wished the early arrivers good health, encouraging them to \"Stay healthy.\"\n\nThe public's enthusiasm for attending this year's commemoration of Indonesia's independence was evident, with citizens willing to travel from diverse regions and arrive early to witness the event firsthand. The government has prepared 16,000 seats for the 80th anniversary commemoration of Indonesia's independence, with 8,000 seats allocated for each of the two ceremony sessions: the Proclamation ceremony at 10 a.m. and the flag-lowering ceremony at 5 p.m. Eighty percent of this capacity is for the general public, while the remaining 20% is reserved for official invitees, state officials, and institutional representatives.",
  "summary": "Indonesians queue from as early as 2 a.m. to attend Indonesia's 81st Independence Day ceremony at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta.",
  "key_points": [
    "Indonesians queued from 2 a.m. to attend Independence Day ceremony.",
    "Citizens from South Sulawesi and Kebumen arrived at Gambir Station by 1 a.m.",
    "Government prepared 16,000 seats for 80th anniversary commemoration."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The eagerness of Indonesians to attend the Independence Day ceremony at Merdeka Palace shows the significance of the event to citizens nationwide, who are willing to travel far and wait long hours to participate.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}