Jakarta Police Accuse 32 Civil Groups of Planning May Day Unrest
Reporter
May 2, 2026 | 09:11 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Jakarta Metropolitan Police has disclosed the results of its security operation during the May Day demonstration in front of the DPR/MPR complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta.
Authorities said the rally was nearly infiltrated by dozens of civil society groups accused of planning to cause unrest.
Director of General Crime Investigation Commissioner Iman Imanuddin said police had identified dozens of groups suspected of intending to disrupt the protest.
“The number of those arrested is 101,” Iman said at his office in South Jakarta on Friday, May 1, 2026.
According to Iman, the arrests were carried out to ensure that the labor demonstrations could proceed safely.
“Fortunately, the demonstration did not turn into a riot,” he told journalists.
He said those detained were suspected of attempting to sow discord among labor groups and provoke attacks against security forces. They were also alleged to have used social media to incite anger among other demonstrators.
Based on intelligence documents obtained by Tempo, at least 32 alliances or networked civil society groups were identified as “anarchist” groups.
The report claimed their presence at the protest could have triggered unrest similar to incidents that occurred in August last year.
The document also stated that members of these groups had gathered at the M Bloc Space area in South Jakarta on Monday, April 27, 2026, where they held a consolidation meeting while attending a collective screening of the film Pesta Babi.
However, the film’s director, Dandhy Laksono, denied that the screening was linked to any pre-protest coordination. “In Indonesia, intelligence information has the lowest quality,” he said when contacted by Tempo.
Meanwhile, the chair of the YLBHI, Muhammad Isnur, urged police not to make unsubstantiated claims. “Accusations are often directed at anarchists, but are they accurate?” he said during the demonstration.
Isnur added that authorities should be accountable for their statements and provide clear evidence identifying those responsible for any unrest, whether from civilian groups or other actors.
Nabiila Azzahra contributed to the writing of this article.
Read: Jakarta Police Detain 101 People During May Day Rally
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