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April 21, 2025 | 11:21 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The police once again dispersed a camp protest across the Pancasila Gate of the Parliament (DPR) building in Central Jakarta on Monday, April 21, 2025. Chief of the Central Jakarta Metropolitan Police, Commissioner General Susatyo Purnomo Condro, confirmed that the police had instructed the protesters to vacate the area.
"We urge them to disband because the designated protest time has passed 6:00 PM," Susatyo said when contacted on Monday night, April 21, 2025.
The call for dispersal, Susatyo explained, was carried out to restore the sidewalk's function for the public of Jakarta. "We will provide security if you wish to express your opinion publicly tomorrow in accordance with the regulations," he added.
Based on Tempo's observation at 7:33 PM, the tents and mats set up on the sidewalk across the Pancasila Gate were no longer visible. More than 20 police officers lined the sidewalk. A police detention vehicle from the Tanah Abang Metro Police Station and a Directorate of Vital Object Security vehicle were also observed at the location.
According to Susatyo, the protesters voluntarily disbanded and tidied up the tents themselves. He confirmed that no camp protesters were detained or placed in detention vehicles, unlike during previous dispersals. "No one was arrested; the situation was conducive," he said.
Meanwhile, one of the protesters present, identified as Kartini (pseudonym), said the crowd began cleaning up the camp area at 7:00 PM. Kartini noted that the police continued to monitor the crowd's movements even as they were cleaning up.
"Even when we wanted to go home, while waiting for a vehicle to take our belongings, the police continued to monitor us. Even as we walked, we were followed, even though we had dispersed," Kartini told Tempo on Monday, April 21, 2025.
She described this as a form of intimidation by the police. Nevertheless, Kartini also confirmed that no camp protesters were detained. The camp protest, which had been ongoing since April 7, 2025, was disbanded today while the participants were discussing the Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP) Law with the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR).
"We were just sitting in a circle, discussing KUHAP. It turns out that we were immediately subjected to criminal procedure practices on the spot. We discussed under strict supervision and surveillance, and it ended in forced disbandment," Kartini recounted.
She stated that the camp protest criticizing the TNI Law would continue and expressed hope that similar protests could be replicated in other areas. "We are trying to make picnics enjoyable, but at the same time resist," she said.
The effort to disband the camp protest at the parliament building marks the third such occurrence. On Wednesday, April 9, 2025, Jakarta Regional Police officers first dispersed a number of residents who were camping at the gates of the Parliament Building to demand the repeal of the TNI Law. Before being disbanded, the protesters had camped in front of the Pancasila Gate for 82 hours.
Then, on Monday morning, April 14, 2025, some participants decided to resume the picnic protest. The initial plan was to set up tents directly in front of the Pancasila Gate of the Indonesian Parliament, but the participants were compelled to move to the opposite sidewalk. The picnic protest could only commence in the afternoon.
On Monday night, April 14, 2025, the police disbanded the camp protest again. Six participants—two women and four men—were placed in police vehicles. These arrests were reportedly made without an interrogation process or legal assistance.
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