Pribadi Wicaksono (Kontributor), Jakarta – Protesters flocked to the headquarters of Yogyakarta Regional Police on late Tuesday, February 24, 2026, in response to the death of a student in Tual, Maluku, at the hands of a police mobile brigade (Brimob) officer.
One of the protesters, Ude, emphasized that the protest was an accumulation of public outrage over the assault committed by a Brimob officer, Second Police Brigadier Mesias Siahaya, against a 14-year-old junior high school student named AT, who later died.
"This 14-year-old did nothing wrong, riding a motorcycle when suddenly he was struck on the head with a helmet and died. People in Yogyakarta today understand that it's the whole institution that rots, not just a few officers," said Ude during the protest. "This protest is a way to vent [our] anger."
According to Ude, the demonstration was spontaneous and informal, without any formal speeches or drafted demands.
"The trust has crumbled against the fruitless efforts in police reform," Ude added, citing another similar protest last year that did not lead to any material changes within the institution.
Ude also explained that vandalism such as graffiti on the fence and destruction of the police station's gate were pure expressions of the people's frustration.
He also confirmed that the protesters came from various universities, all converging at UPN before occupying police headquarters.
Until 7:50 p.m., the crowd kept growing without any specific end time for the protest.
The crowd, consisting of students and the general public, surrounded the area, blocked the roads, and demolished the police office's fence as a deep expression of disappointment towards the Indonesian Police (Polri) institution.
According to Tempo's observation at the location, the group started walking from the east towards the police station at 6:00 p.m. Prior to that, they had gathered at the central parking area of the National Development University (UPN) Veteran Yogyakarta.
Upon arriving at the police station, the crowd moved water barriers on the west side to close the traffic flow, resulting in Pakuwon Mall and a row of shop houses in the surrounding area having to cease operations.
Tensions escalated at the east side of the fence when it got knocked down as protesters chanted "Murderers, murderers, murderers," while throwing objects into the police station yard which had been fenced with barbed wire since noon.