Ojol Drivers in Yogyakarta Protest After Colleague Run Over by Brimob in Jakarta
Reporter
August 29, 2025 | 01:27 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Hundreds of online motorcycle taxi drivers (ojol) in Yogyakarta staged a demonstration on Friday, August 29, 2025, to mourn and demand justice for their colleague, Affan Kurniawan, who was killed after being run over by a Mobile Brigade (Brimob) armored vehicle in Pejompongan, Jakarta, the night before.
Affan, an ojol driver, lost his life when a Jakarta Police Brimob vehicle struck him following a mass protest near the House of Representatives (DPR) building on Thursday, August 28.
In Yogyakarta, ojol drivers dressed in black ribbons as a symbol of mourning and handed them out to passing motorists around Condong Catur before marching to the Yogyakarta Regional Police Headquarters.
“This action is our expression of solidarity for our friend Affan, who tragically died during the protest after being crushed by a Brimob Baracuda vehicle,” said Rie Ramawati, popularly known as Wuri, the General Chairperson of the Moving Yogyakarta Ojol Forum (FYOB).
At the Regional Police Headquarters, the drivers blocked the slow lane, lit candles, scattered flowers, and prayed together for Affan. They later held Friday prayers and performed a funeral prayer in his memory.
“Our demand is clear. The driver who killed our colleague must be prosecuted fairly. We believe this was an intentional act that claimed his life,” Wuri stressed.
The demonstrators also urged the National Police to ensure transparency in investigating the case and warned against attempts to shield the perpetrators. They called for a review of police procedures in handling protests, stressing that force should not be used against unarmed demonstrators.
Jogja Police Watch activist Baharuddin Kamba echoed the criticism, urging the National Police to end what he described as a pattern of brutality in handling public protests.
“From the circulating video, it is evident that the ojol driver was deliberately run over while police attempted to disperse the crowd,” Kamba said.
He added that if such acts of violence continue, President Prabowo Subianto should dismiss National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo to prevent public anger from escalating further.
“The people are already exhausted and frustrated by suffocating state policies, yet the authorities respond with violence. These tactical vehicles, purchased with public tax money, are now being used to trample the people,” Kamba said.
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