Jakarta. The Jakarta Police have arrested five individuals in connection with Saturday’s raid on a political discussion and have named at least two of them as criminal suspects.

The incident took place during a gathering at the Grand Kemang Hotel, where prominent figures critical of the government were holding a discussion.

According to police, the attackers stormed into the venue, assaulting hotel security guards who attempted to stop them. Once inside the meeting room, they vandalized the stage backdrop, damaged microphones, and ordered participants to leave.

The event, hosted by the Love Motherland Forum (Cinta Tanah Air), featured speakers such as social media personality Refly Harun, politician Marwan Batubara, former government official Said Didu, and former Muhammadiyah Chairman Din Syamsuddin.

“We are still investigating their motive for disrupting the event,” Jakarta Police Deputy Chief Brig. Gen. Djati Wiyoto Abadhy said on Monday.

The attackers reportedly accused the meeting participants of sowing division and holding the gathering without the necessary permits.

However, Djati refrained from speculating whether political differences were behind the attack, emphasizing that the police would not tolerate vandalism and violence.

The five men in custody, whose identities were withheld and revealed only by their initials, allegedly played various roles in vandalizing the stage, intimidating attendees, and forcibly ejecting them from the room. Djati noted that one of the suspects, identified by the initials FEK, served as the "field coordinator" of the raid.

The suspects face charges of vandalism and violent assault.

South Jakarta District Police Chief Ade Rahmat Idnal added that several of the perpetrators had stayed at the hotel overnight and participated in a rally outside the venue before the raid occurred.

Speaking to a local broadcaster, Refly Harun said the attackers hurled insults at the forum’s participants, calling them "traitors" during the raid.

He clarified that the forum was meant to be a friendly gathering for exchanging views in an indoor setting, which, according to him, did not require a permit. He stressed that the right to assembly is guaranteed by the Constitution.

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