Andi Adam Faturahman, Jakarta – The Central Jakarta Metropolitan Police explained the reasons for restricting student protest at the Tugu Tani area and the Patung Kuda (Horse Statue) Arjuna Wijaya area in Central Jakarta on Monday, June 15.
The Head of Public Relations Section of the Central Jakarta Metropolitan Police, Inspector Erlyn Sumantri, stated that the restriction of protesters' access to the Patung Kuda area is a long-standing policy.
"Currently, every protest activity at the Patung Kuda area is provided a place on South Merdeka Square Road," Erlyn said when asked for confirmation via WhatsApp on Monday, June 15, 2026.
Regarding the interception at the Tugu Tani area, Central Jakarta, Erlyn denied it. He said that the personnel on duty had provided access for the masses to move towards South Merdeka Square Road. "They were not intercepted," he said.
However, he did not elaborate on the specific provisions of the laws and regulations the police used as a reference to restrict student protests on South Merdeka Square Road.
Separately, the Chairman of the Student Executive Board (BEM) of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Bung Karno University (UBK), Kurnia Arya Satya, stated that the police at the State Palace were notified of their group's activities. BEM UBK was one of the student groups holding a protest in Jakarta today.
Arya stated that, considering the visit of the President of Germany to Indonesia, the police requested that the protest location be moved to the Patung Kuda area.
"We are also puzzled as to why we were only given access up to South Merdeka Square Road, while the previous notification and agreement was for the Patung Kuda area," said Arya on Monday.
Based on Tempo's observation at the Tugu Tani area, dozens of police officers were seen intercepting students from closing the space for the protesters' movement.
The police obstruction was carried out by forming a live barricade that closed the entire Tugu Tani road towards the East Merdeka Square Road. The obstruction was met with pushing and shoving by the students.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2108668/why-did-police-intercept-students-from-protesting-at-patung-kud