"Urine tests were conducted on all 351 detainees, and seven tested positive," Deputy Director of General Crimes at Jakarta Metropolitan Police Adjunct Senior Commissioner Putu Kholis stated on Tuesday.
Six detainees tested positive for methamphetamine, while one showed traces of a substance related to benzodiazepine, he added, noting that the cases have been handed over to the narcotics unit for further investigation.
Police detained 155 adults and 196 minors during the protest outside the House of Representatives/People's Consultative Assembly (DPR/MPR) building in Central Jakarta on August 25.
According to police spokesperson Senior Commissioner Ade Ary, the group was not part of the original peaceful protest. Instead, they allegedly damaged public property, threw objects at drivers on the toll road, and attacked officers, he said.
Related news: Jakarta police deploy 1,145 personnel to secure student protest at DPR
Earlier this week, thousands of people staged a protest under the banner of the Revolution of the Indonesian People around the Senayan legislative complex.
The protesters demanded the dissolution of the House of Representatives (DPR), the cancellation of the ongoing Criminal Procedure Code revision, and the rejection of additional benefits for lawmakers.
Following the protest, Jakarta’s provincial government reported that a public surveillance camera in Pejompongan was vandalized.
Related news: Jakarta official condemns Monday's protest-related CCTV vandalism
Head of Jakarta’s Communication, Informatics, and Statistics Office Budi Awaluddin condemned the act of vandalism, saying the perpetrators might have intended to obstruct identification efforts.
"The damage was likely aimed at preventing identification of demonstrators," he said, stressing that damaging public property under any circumstances is unacceptable and constitutes a serious violation.
In response to public concerns over the additional benefits, DPR Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said on Tuesday that lawmakers would receive a housing allowance for just one year during their 2024–2029 term.
He explained that legislators, inaugurated in October 2024, would not be provided with official housing and would instead receive a monthly housing allowance of Rp50 million (about USD 3,100) only until October 2025.
Related news: DPR dissolution protest a natural part of Indonesia's democracy: govt
Translator: Redemptus ERS, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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