Policing Mass Demonstrations in Indonesia: Balancing Public Order, Civil Liberties, and Democratic Accountability

Abstract

Public demonstrations constitute an important form of political participation in democratic societies but may create significant challenges for police institutions responsible for maintaining public order. In Indonesia, the management of demonstrations requires police to balance public safety with constitutional freedoms of expression and assembly. This study examines the challenges of policing mass demonstrations within Indonesia's democratic environment. Using qualitative legal and policy analysis, the study evaluates the principles governing police responses to public demonstrations and examines tensions between public-order objectives and civil liberties. The analysis emphasises the importance of proportionality, communication, negotiation, and differentiated responses to maintaining legitimate public order. The study argues that excessive reliance on coercive approaches may generate distrust and undermine perceptions of police legitimacy, while insufficient intervention may expose participants and the wider public to safety risks. Democratic protest policing therefore requires clear operational guidelines, professional decision-making, effective command structures, and meaningful accountability. The article contributes to scholarship on democratic policing by situating protest policing within Indonesia's post-authoritarian institutional development and by highlighting the relationship between public order, civil liberties, and police legitimacy.