Jakarta – Police are still investigating alleged lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activities in the Permata Hijau area of North Grogol Village, Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta, which were shut down by local residents on New Year's Eve.
In a video that went viral on social media, the bar or cafe was raided by residents because it was suspected of being the location of an LGBT party during the New Year's Eve celebrations. In the short video circulating on social media, residents can be seen raiding the cafe and a group of men leaving the premises one by one.
When sought for confirmation on matter, South Jakarta Metro Jaya District Police (Polres) Public Relations Section head Police Commissioner Nurma Dewi said the bar or cafe in question had now been permanently closed since January 1, 2025, or after the raid.
"So far we've ask the employees [who said] it had been open for one year, from January 2024. Then yesterday it was closed permanently on January 1, 2025", she told reporters on Monday January 6.
Dewi explained that investigators have questioned five witnesses related to activities on New Year's Eve at the bar or cafe. She said that five witnesses who were questioned were cafe employees and residents.
"We checked with employees of course, then residents who were at the scene at that time. We questioned or asked for information from five people", she said.
Dewi said that officers are currently checking the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage around the location to look into the chronology of the alleged LGBT party.
"So far officers from Polres, from the Kebayoran Lama Polsek [Sectoral Police], are still looking for clear information, looking, listening and finding out what happened yesterday", she said.
"We will ask there, we'll check the CCTV [footage] that exists. Later we'll give an update if there is anything from the TKP [crime scene], we'll give an update, for the time being the reports have not yet come in", she added.
Speaking separately, Kebayoran Lama Sectoral Police Chief (Kapolsek) Police Commissioner Widya Agustiono said that they are investigating the alleged LGBT activities at the cafe. "It's still under investigation", he said briefly.
Quoting from the state news agency Antara, Agustiono said that in the video recording that went viral did not actually show a raid. He said that residents only appealed to the guests at the bar to immediately return to their respective homes.
"So it was not a raid, residents asked them to go home because there were accusations that there were LGBT [people] present", he said.
The narration accompanying the video recording that went viral explained that over the last two months, residents have protesting with the mall asking that that alleged LGBT bar or cafe be closed down. And in the end the closure was carried out on January 1 by management after protests from residents.
The alleged LGBT party which went viral and ended in the venue being closed down actually occurred between Tuesday December 31, 2024 and Wednesday January 1, 2025, or during the celebration of the turn of the year. (tfq/kid)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Viral Diduga Bar LGBT Digerebek Warga di Jaksel, Polisi Buka Suara".]
