Why Protesters Stay at DPR Despite Pati Crowd Dispersing

August 27, 2026 | 08:52 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Thousands of protesters remained near the parliament complex in Jakarta on Thursday afternoon, August 27, 2026. More came to the protest site despite the United Pati Society Alliance (AMPB) crowd having disbanded earlier in the day.

The AMPB community, one of the initiators of today's  rally, dispersed after their representatives met with the lawmakers. Deputy House Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad pledged to ratify the Asset Seizure Bill before December 15, 2026.

Those who stayed at the DPR building come from all walks of life, including women's alliances, ride-hailing drivers, college students, and high school students.

One of the protesters, Alya Putri, said she came to join the protest with some friends she had just met on the social media platform, Threads. Consisting of about 100 people, she said her group took to the streets because they were concerned about the state of society.

"We are women who feel the government policies are deeply unjust," she said when approached at the protest site.

One such policy, she said, is Prabowo's flagship free nutritious meal program, which has led to numerous food poisoning cases, as well as a reduced education budget under the state budget. "We are really worried about the future generation," she said.

Alya expressed appreciation for protesters who have been advocating for the Asset Seizure Bill, but she believed there was a list of demands that remained unaccounted for, hence why they decided to stay late into the afternoon. 

Meanwhile, Rohan, a ride-hailing driver, locally known as ojol driver, said he had been staying at the protest site with his friends since 09:00 a.m. local time. But he had worked prior to joining the protest and earned about Rp100,000 (around US$5.6).

Rohan said he wanted to join the protest because he felt it was difficult for him to make a living. "Everything is expensive for poor people like me. As an ojol driver, saving money is out of the question. Every year, every month, we only earn enough money to pay for rent," he said.

Rohan also admitted that he was not satisfied with the parliament's vow to pass the Asset Seizure Bill by the end of the year, urging lawmakers to work faster. "We have been waiting for so long, do we have to hit the gavel ourselves?" he said.

Meanwhile, Rendiansyah, a student at Universitas Terbuka in Bogor, said he came with around two hundred students from his campus. He is part of the Universitas Terbuka Accuses Alliance, consisting of the Jakarta and Bogor campuses.

According to Rendiansyah, he stayed at the protest site despite the AMPB crowd dispersing because he was skeptical of the DPR's promises. "Because we have been promised for so long without it ever being realized," he said.

Until 06:30 p.m., a number of protesters still crowded the area in front of the DPR building on Gatot Subroto Street. Security forces briefly dispersed the crowd in front of the DPR gates with a water cannon.

Read: Why Did Police Arrest 63 Students Ahead of Jakarta Protest?

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News

Police Fire Water Cannons, Tear Gas to Disperse Jakarta Protesters

57 menit lalu

Why Did Police Arrest 63 Students Ahead of Jakarta Protest?

4 jam lalu

Today's Top 3 News: Dedi Mulyadi's Presidential Electability, Jakarta Protests

7 jam lalu

Pati Protesters Disperse After Receiving Commitment From DPR

8 jam lalu

Jakarta Police Detain 65 Ahead of Protest at DPR

10 jam lalu

Fact Check: Viral Bus Convoy Videos for DPR Protest

10 jam lalu

Police: 62 Protests Held in Jakarta Today

11 jam lalu

Police Intercept, Check People Suspected of Joining Protest at DPR

11 jam lalu

Public Donates Supplies to Pati Protesters at DPR

14 jam lalu

Govt to Escort Protests at DPR, Says Minister Djamari

14 jam lalu