Vedro Imanuel Girsang, Jakarta – A group of police officers assaulted a man in a black shirt during a protest against the revision of the Indonesian Armed Forces Law (TNI Law) on Thursday evening, March 20, 2025. The incident took place under the JCC overpass, adjacent to the protest location in front of the Parliament building, Jakarta.

The man was seen being beaten with batons and kicked by several police officers. There were about a dozen police officers surrounding him. "Kicking, beating, and the worst (of the beating) was to the head," said Raka, the victim of the assault.

Raka recounted that at the time, he was pulling over by the roadside to charge his mobile phone. Shortly afterward, a group of police officers arrived and accused him of being a student involved in the demonstration.

"They said I was a student. But I'm not. I'm an ojol (online motorcycle taxi) driver," Raka said. "I was forced to admit that I was a student," he said.

But before he could clarify to the police, Raka was immediately punched and kicked repeatedly, and the 22-year-old man said he was unable to fight the officers. "I stayed quiet, I just gave in," he narrated.

Besides the ojol driver, Tempo's observation on the ground noted other victims of police brutality near the protest site. A man suspected of being a protester was seen being hit and asked to move away from the location.

At that time, around 5 to 10 police officers were seen surrounding the man. The assault was restrained by other police officers. "That's enough, stop it. Don't hit him again," said one of the police officers to his colleagues.

The protest around the Indonesian Parliament complex was aimed at rejecting the amendment on the TNI Law, as concerns emerged that the regulation will pave the way for an expanded role of the military in the government. Something similar already occurred in Indonesia's past, with the military dual function during the New Order regime.

– Muh. Raihan contributed to the writing of this article.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1988945/police-assault-ojol-driver-mistaken-as-tni-law-proteste