Jakarta – Support for a blogger student who was expelled from Dian Nuswantoro University for criticizing campus management has grown with dozens of students from several campus publications holding a rally in Semarang.

"Expelling a student for being critical is not appropriate," Devy Firman Al Hakim, secretary-general of the Indonesian Student Press Association (PPMI) said on the sidelines of the rally. Tempo.co reported on Wednesday. The demonstrators said that they would also deliver their protest to Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo.

Devy said the university's management should provide clarification as to whether Wahyu's articles were inaccurate.

During the rally, several protesters sealed their mouths with tape as a symbol of what they regard as an attack on freedom of expression.

Wahyu Dwi Pranata had criticized Dian Nuswantoro University's management over various issues, including tuition fees, existing facilities and a lack of transparency in financial management.

The university's management decided that it had had enough when Wahyu published a provocative poem critical of the university coinciding with the inauguration of new students. The management offered Wahyu two options: to leave the college or stay and face charges of defamation. (hrl/dic)