Jakarta. Jakarta police have arrested and named six people as suspects for allegedly instigating violent protests outside Indonesia’s parliament complex, including two figures linked to prominent civil society groups.

Police said the suspects used social media to incite students, workers, and youths to join last week’s demonstrations, which escalated into clashes and vandalism. Among those charged are Delpedro Marhaen, executive director of the Delpedro Foundation, and Muzaffar Salim, a researcher at the Lokataru Foundation. Four others, identified by their initials SH, KA, RAP, and FL, were also detained.

Jakarta Police spokesman Ade Ary Syam Indradi said the suspects played “active roles” in mobilizing students and encouraging violent acts. “They spread calls to join the protests, incited destruction, shared tutorials on making Molotov cocktails, and even acted as couriers during the demonstrations,” Ade told reporters late Tuesday.

Authorities said 257 people detained on Aug. 25 admitted being influenced by social media posts urging them to join the unrest. Many were high school students. The suspects face charges under Indonesia’s Criminal Code for incitement, the Electronic Information and Transactions Law, and the Child Protection Law, with potential prison terms of up to six years.

Police stressed that arrests followed legal procedures and urged the public, especially young people, to be more discerning in consuming online content.

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Police cited a post made on Aug. 27 from Lokataru’s Instagram account, featuring a pink background with the slogan “Kita Lawan Bareng” (Let’s Resist Together) and the hashtag #JanganTakut (Don’t Be Afraid). The post was later shared in collaboration with other activist accounts, including @blokpolitikpelajar, @gejayanmemanggil, and @aliansimahasiswapenggugat.

Jakarta police said the content misled young people into believing the protests were safe and justified. “The incitement convinced students that their actions were right and without consequence,” said Police Commissioner Gilang Prasetya.

The Lokataru Foundation condemned the arrests of Marhaen and Salim, calling them an attempt to scapegoat rights advocates. “These accusations are not supported by strong evidence,” said Fian Alaydrus, a spokesperson for Lokataru’s legal team.

Fian alleged that the arrests violated due process, claiming neither suspect received a summons or preliminary questioning before being detained. “Delpedro was seized without proper documentation, and Muzaffar was arrested suddenly while in the police cafeteria,” he said.

Lokataru argued the move is part of a wider effort to deflect attention from the deaths of several protesters in recent weeks and to silence critical voices.

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