TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Demonstrators from the United Pati Society Alliance (AMPB) held a rally outside the House of Representatives (DPR) building on Thursday, August 27, 2026, demanding the immediate passage of the Asset Forfeiture Bill. Calls for the protest had been building momentum since the previous week. People from various regions also contributed essential supplies and logistics to support the rally.
AMPB organizers estimated that around 600 protesters took to the streets for the action. Several student organizations and youth groups also joined the People's Movement Alliance for Lawsuits (Geram) to demonstrate at the same venue.
Security authorities deployed 18,504 joint personnel to safeguard the demonstration during the final week of August. Police divided the security operations into six separate zones, designating the DPR building complex as the central zone.
Below is a summary of key facts surrounding the August 27 demonstration, as compiled by Tempo.
1. AMPB Demands the Asset Forfeiture Bill Pass by December 15
Amid the rally, AMPB Coordinator Supriyono and several representatives from Pati met directly with DPR leadership. The delegates also attended a plenary session to observe the house's official decision regarding its commitment to passing the Asset Forfeiture Bill. During the meeting, the delegation urged lawmakers to pass the asset forfeiture legislation by mid-December.
“If it is not realized by [December 15], we will demand accountability from all of you,” Botok, one of the representatives, told lawmakers on Thursday, August 26, 2026.
House leaders formalized their commitment to completing the Asset Seizure Bill in an official statement. The document was signed by four DPR Deputy Speakers: Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, Saan Mustopa, Cucun Ahmad Syamsurijal, and Sari Yuliati.
House Speaker Puan Maharani later clarified why she was absent from the meeting with the AMPB delegation. She explained that house leadership had to split duties due to several overlapping parliamentary schedules. “We divide our tasks because I had a prior meeting,” Puan stated.
2. AMPB Disperses Following Meeting with House Leadership
Following the meeting between AMPB delegates and DPR leadership, the group began dispersing from the parliamentary building around 12:30 p.m. local time. The protesters headed toward their parked buses to begin their journey back to Pati, Central Java.
Even as AMPB members departed, thousands of demonstrators from various civic backgrounds remained gathered outside the DPR complex. The crowd comprised members of women's rights groups, online ride-hailing drivers, university students, and high school students in uniform.
One demonstrator, Alya Putri, shared that she joined the rally alongside peers she had met online via Threads. She noted that their group numbered about 100 people.
They explained that their decision to protest stemmed from deep concerns over current social and economic hardships. "We are women who feel the impact of very unjust government policies," she said at the demonstration site.
Meanwhile, Rohan, an online motorcycle taxi driver, said he had arrived with fellow drivers around 9:00 a.m. He made sure to complete a few trips first to earn at least Rp100,000 before taking part in the protest.
Rohan expressed that he felt compelled to join the rally due to the growing difficulty of making a living. "I'm a "small person" (ordinary worker), and everything is expensive. As online ojek drivers, we barely even save money. We just have enough money to pay for rent," he said.
Meanwhile, demonstrators affiliated with the People's Movement Alliance for Lawsuits (Geram) arrived shortly after the AMPB group dispersed. The two alliances carried different policy agendas. The Geram Alliance called on the Prabowo-Gibran administration to answer for public policies that they argued harm citizens.
Specifically, they demanded a halt to flagship programs such as the free nutritious meal (MBG) program and the red-and-white village cooperative project.
3. Police Use Tear Gas to Disperse Protesters Outside DPR
Police fired tear gas against demonstrators outside the Parliament building late Thursday evening, August 27, 2026. Security forces began pushing the remaining crowds back shortly after 7:00 p.m. According to Tempo observations from inside the parliamentary complex, officers initially launched tear gas canisters outward while periodically opening the complex gates.
Nevertheless, the crowds stood their ground and continued shouting at riot control personnel. Using loudspeakers from command vehicles, police repeatedly ordered the crowd to disperse, citing that the legal deadline for public demonstrations had passed. “To all of you, please do not resist and disperse immediately,” an officer announced over the public address system.
Security personnel subsequently issued a clear warning to protesters lingering around the main entrance. Officers cautioned that if the crowd failed to comply, the main gates would be opened, bringing demonstrators face-to-face with tactical units on the field.
About three minutes after the final warning, police opened the main gates and advanced with water cannon units. “To all members, line up, we will move out,” Central Jakarta Police Chief Sr. Comr. Reynold Elisa Partomuan Hutagalung instructed over the loudspeaker.
Tactical police units accompanied by three water cannon vehicles exited the parliamentary complex to clear the street. The tactical sweep effectively fractured the crowd, driving groups off in opposite directions toward Cawang and Slipi.
The push redirected the crowd toward Jalan Pejompongan Raya. Iqbal, a local Pejompongan resident, noted that protesters had been passing through the neighborhood since early afternoon.
However, major disruptions only erupted after 7:00 p.m., once police began forcing back the crowds. "Tear gas was only fired in the evening," Iqbal said at the scene. During the chaos, two motorcycles were set ablaze near the Pejompongan Police Post.
Nearby residents gathered to watch the scene unfold. As night fell and clashes broke out, remaining demonstrators appeared without formal organizational or campus attire.
Read: Jakarta Police: Protesters Other Than Pati Group Intended Only to Cause Damage
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