TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The chair of the University of Indonesia's Student Executive Board (BEM UI), Yatalathof Ma'shum Imawan, said students deliberately chose Jakarta's Hotel Indonesia (HI) Roundabout as the site of their protest because they have lost confidence in both the government and the House of Representatives (DPR).
BEM UI and several other student organizations planned to stage a demonstration titled #IndonesiaMenujuBangkrut ("Indonesia Heading Toward Bankruptcy") at the landmark traffic circle on Friday, June 12, 2026.
According to Yatalathof, commonly known as Athof, student groups decided against holding the protest outside the DPR complex or the Presidential Palace—traditional venues for political demonstrations—because they no longer believe those institutions are responsive to public concerns.
"The DPR and the government now tend to speak with one voice on every policy, even policies that are making people's lives more difficult," Athof told reporters in Jakarta on Friday. "That's why we no longer believe in demonstrating there."
By gathering at the HI Roundabout, Athof said the students hope to draw wider public attention to what they describe as Indonesia's worsening economic and democratic conditions.
"We want to raise awareness that people are facing these hardships together," he said.
The protest march faced obstacles before reaching its intended destination. Student demonstrators traveling to the HI Roundabout were stopped by Jakarta police in the Semanggi area of Central Jakarta and were asked to relocate the rally to the area in front of the DPR building.
Athof questioned the decision, describing the police action as repressive. He noted that organizers had previously informed authorities of their plans and had formally notified police that the demonstration would take place at the HI Roundabout.
"We had already prepared everything and submitted notification to the police stating that the rally would be held at the HI Roundabout," he said.
Athof estimated that around 1,000 students were affected by the roadblocks. As of Friday afternoon, organizers were still attempting to reach the protest site.
Jakarta Metropolitan Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Budi Hermanto defended the restrictions, saying the HI Roundabout serves as a major center of public activity and business operations in the capital.
"The area around the HI Roundabout is not designated as a location for public demonstrations," Budi said in a written statement on Friday.
Police instead advised protesters to hold their rally at alternative locations, including the Arjuna Wijaya (Horse) Statue area or in front of the parliamentary complex.
Despite the restrictions, groups of demonstrators from various sectors of society had gathered near the HI Roundabout by Friday afternoon awaiting the arrival of student protesters.
Participants included labor groups and women's community organizations, some of whom had been waiting since the morning.
The "Indonesia Heading Toward Bankruptcy" protest was organized by a coalition of student bodies from the University of Indonesia, IPB University, Jakarta State Polytechnic, Pancasila University, and Gunadarma University, alongside student organizations including the National Student Front and the Progressive Student Union (Semar UI).
The coalition has put forward five key demands: an end to what it describes as wasteful state spending; lower prices for basic goods and fuel; the suspension of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program and the Red and White Village Cooperative initiative; an end to militarization in civilian affairs; and for President Prabowo Subianto to acknowledge and take responsibility for government policy failures.
Hendrik Yaputra and Ricky Juliansyah contributed to the writing of this article.
Read: Why Police Urge Students to Move the HI Roundabout Protest
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