Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – The Executive Board of the University of Indonesia Student Senate (BEM UI) staged a demonstration in front of the Indonesian National Police Headquarters on Friday, February 27, 2026, presenting five key demands to the police institution.
Standing atop a command vehicle, the students called on Chief of the Indonesian National Police (Kapolri) General Listyo Sigit Prabowo to meet them directly. "We want the students to be able to convey their message directly to the Chief of Police," one demonstrator said during an oration.
Hundreds of students, many wearing the iconic yellow jackets of UI, gathered around 2:00 PM WIB. Students from other universities, including Jakarta National Development University, also joined the protest.
The demonstration continued until approximately 06:00 PM WIB, with police forming lines in front of the crowd. Officers were fully uniformed, wearing white pecis and turbans.
BEM UI Chair Yatalathof Ma'shum Imawan, commonly known as Athof, emphasized that one of their main demands is for General Listyo Sigit Prabowo to step down. Athof said police leadership must change immediately to address ongoing issues within the force.
"The moment one mistake is addressed, even if the punishment is unfair, new cases emerge. Is this the police or a debtor? Dig a hole, cover a hole, like that," Athof said.
The five demands from BEM UI are:
- Impose the harshest criminal punishments on police responsible for the killing of AR and all acts of repression.
- Remove Listyo Sigit Prabowo from the position of Chief of Police and Dadang Hartanto from the role of Maluku Regional Police Chief.
- Release all political detainees who have been criminalized.
- Enforce limits on police authority and withdraw the Indonesian National Police from civilian positions.
- Deliver concrete structural, cultural, and instrumental reforms through the Police Reform Acceleration Commission.
– Ricky Juliansyah contributed to the writing of this article.