en.malanginspirasi.com – Mass protests erupted at Bundaran HI in Central Jakarta on Friday, June 12th drawing thousands of demonstrators to one of the capital’s most iconic landmarks.
The rally, which began in the afternoon, caused significant traffic congestion around the Hotel Indonesia roundabout and surrounding areas including Thamrin and Sudirman.
Protesters filled the roundabout and nearby streets, holding banners and voicing their demands.
Police deployed personnel to secure the area, and the demonstration remained largely orderly, though minor scuffles were reported in some pockets.
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Authorities have not yet released an official estimate of the crowd size, but live footage and eyewitness accounts suggest several thousand participants at its peak.
Students from Universitas Indonesia and other schools rallied against high living costs, fuel price hikes, and wasteful spending under President Prabowo Subianto.
Their five demands included halting budget waste, lowering basic goods prices, stopping the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program and village cooperatives due to poor management, ending militarism in civilian areas, and urging the government to admit mistakes.
Over 4,000 police secured the site with traffic reroutes, and while early bus blocks sparked suppression claims, the event stayed peaceful by mid-afternoon as protesters waved flags and shared safety tips online.
CCTV Controversy Goes Viral
As the protest intensified, netizens on X widely claimed that CCTV cameras around Bundaran HI and key protest zones were not working.
Multiple users posted videos and photos, pointing out what appeared to be offline or malfunctioning surveillance cameras in the area.Several viral posts highlighted the issue, with comments such as:
“CCTV di Bundaran HI mati total saat demo besar? Kebetulan atau sengaja?”
(Translation: “CCTVs at Bundaran HI completely dead during a big protest? Coincidence or intentional?”)
The claims quickly gained traction online, sparking discussions about transparency, accountability, and the readiness of Jakarta’s public surveillance system during major public events.
Some users demanded an immediate investigation from the Jakarta Provincial Government and Metro Jaya Police.
As of now, neither the Jakarta Police nor the city administration has issued an official statement regarding the alleged CCTV failures.
A source from the Jakarta Smart City program said they are ‘looking into the reports.’
