TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Jakarta Metropolitan Police (Polda Metro Jaya) said it had detained 101 individuals who took part in the May Day 2026 demonstrations. They were brought in for questioning over allegations of attempting to incite unrest during the rallies.
The Director of General Crime Investigation at Polda Metro Jaya, Commissioner Iman Imanuddin, said the individuals were suspected of being “anarchists or rioters” who tried to infiltrate the labor demonstrations. The 101 people being questioned are aged between 20 and 35.
Iman stressed that none of the 101 individuals had been named as suspects and that they would be released after questioning.
“A total of 101 individuals are providing information to us, and once they have completed the process, they will immediately return to their respective homes,” he said during a press conference at the Jakarta police headquarters in South Jakarta on Friday, May 1, 2026.
Based on initial questioning, police said the group had planned to “sow discord” among labor union elements by infiltrating the demonstrations. Authorities also alleged that they intended to damage public facilities and infrastructure.
Iman added that the individuals were also suspected of planning to provoke and attack security personnel.
“They would also use social media to incite actions, potentially drawing in more violent crowds or triggering anger among other demonstrators,” he said.
According to police findings, the group had prepared a detailed schedule or rundown of when they would trigger unrest during the demonstrations. From the 101 individuals, officers confiscated several items of evidence, including empty bottles, cloth materials, and fuel allegedly intended for Molotov cocktails.
Police also seized concrete nails, which Iman said were intended to damage buildings or barriers. He added that the group had assigned specific roles during the demonstrations.
“Some of them were tasked with damaging concrete or barriers, so that when unrest occurs, it would be easier for them to bring down those barriers,” he said.
Other items confiscated included slingshots and projectiles, sharp weapons, written plans or schedules of the alleged unrest, communication devices, and cash totaling Rp10,961,100 (around US$700).
Demonstrators searched
Separately, a number of May Day demonstrators reported being searched by unidentified individuals. This was confirmed by Nabil Hafizhurrahman, a public lawyer from LBH Jakarta.
“There were about three or four people gathered around,” Nabil said when met at the demonstration on Friday.
He said the searches took place at the entrance of a restaurant located next to the DPR/MPR complex. According to him, every person passing through the area was asked to show the contents of their bags.
Nabil suspected the individuals were linked to the police, noting that a nearby tent bore the name of the Mobile Brigade Corps (Brimob).
“They were not wearing uniforms,” he told Tempo.
YLBHI urges proof of infiltration claims
The YLBHI also responded to the allegations of infiltration during the May Day demonstrations. Its chairman, Muhammad Isnur, said police should not make arbitrary accusations.
“Who are these infiltrators? Don’t just make random accusations,” Isnur said when met at the protest site on Friday, May 1, 2026.
According to Isnur, the police must be accountable for such claims and clearly prove who allegedly intended to incite unrest. “Often the accusation is directed at anarchists, but is that really the case?” he said.
He added that while police have a duty to prevent unrest by detecting potential threats, whether from civilian groups or other actors, such claims must be backed by evidence.
Previously, the deputy chief of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police said intelligence had indicated the presence of an organized group suspected of planning to provoke unrest during the May Day demonstrations.
Vedro Imanuel Girsang contributed to the writing of this article.
Read: YLBHI Urges Police to Identify Alleged May Day Infiltrators
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