Police Deploy 3,229 Personnel for Andrea Bocelli Concert at Borobudur

MAGELANG, INDONESIAN POST – Central Java police are deploying 3,229 personnel from multiple agencies to secure tenor Andrea Bocelli’s concert in the Borobudur Temple area in Magelang regency, Central Java.

Senior Commissioner Muhammad Aldian, who is overseeing security for the concert, said in Magelang on Saturday that the personnel were drawn from the Indonesian National Police, the Indonesian military, local government and other agencies.

He said authorities had stepped up security preparations in anticipation of a large audience, crowded conditions and potential traffic disruptions around the tourist destination.

Aldian, who also serves as Central Java police traffic director, said providing security for public events was a routine police duty. However, the concert’s international scale and expected turnout required greater preparedness.

“Providing security for public events is routine work. There is nothing unusual about it. We are simply stepping up preparations because we expect a large audience, especially as the event is taking place at Borobudur, a well-known tourist destination,” he said.

He said security measures would focus on preventing congestion, traffic disruptions and overcrowding around the venue.

The deployment of 3,229 personnel includes reinforcements from several units assigned to support the security operation throughout the event, he added.

Asked about the possibility of groups gathering to express their views or traveling in convoys toward the Borobudur Temple area, Aldian stressed that expressing opinions in public was a legally protected right.

He said police would accommodate those wishing to express their views by designating specific locations so their activities would not disrupt the main event.

“People are welcome to express their views. That right is protected by law, and we will accommodate them. We will designate specific areas so that activities taking place at the same time do not interfere with one another,” he said.

He said the arrangement sought to balance people’s right to express their opinions with the need to keep the main event safe and running smoothly.

Aldian added that police were not preparing special roadblocks and would instead use traffic management measures to regulate the movement of vehicles and people during the event.

Under those arrangements, officers will separate traffic heading to the concert from traffic traveling to the Borobudur area for other purposes. Groups planning separate activities will also be directed to designated locations.

Central Java police spokesperson Senior Commissioner Yuliyanto urged people traveling through the Borobudur area to follow officers’ directions, particularly those of traffic personnel stationed at intersections and security posts.

He called on the public to help maintain security and public order in Magelang regency so the international event could proceed without disruption.

A safe and orderly international event would enhance Magelang regency’s reputation abroad, he said.

Positive experiences among audience members and performers arriving from different countries could help promote the regency and create opportunities to host more international events, he added.

“Keeping Magelang safe is also an investment in the community. Audience members and performers will return to their countries with the message that the event in Magelang was safe and that local people were friendly and courteous,” he said.

He expressed hope that the international event would deliver wider benefits, including increased tourism activity and economic growth for communities in Magelang regency.

ANTARA | INDONESIAN POST