Regarding The Grahadi Cultural Heritage Building Burned By The Mass, Khofifah: Thrown By Molotov Too

East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa gave a press statement at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Monday (1/9/2025). (ANTARA/Mentari Dwi Gayati)

The Governor of East Java (Jatim) Khofifah Indar Parawansa expressed his concern over the burning of the Grahadi State Building in Surabaya which was thrown by Molotov cocktails by the mass of action, because the building was a cultural heritage.

"Yes, of course it is part of the cultural heritage, we are all concerned that the western part of the Grahadi building was also thrown by Molotov," said Khofifah at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Monday, which was confiscated by Antara.

About 30 minutes before the Molotov throwing incident, Khofifah and the Commander of the Regional Military Command (Pangdam) V/Brawijaya Major General TNI Rudy Saladin met representatives of the mass action in front of the Grahadi State Building.

He admitted that he even contacted the East Java Police Chief Inspector General Nanang Avianto in front of the masses, when their representatives asked his colleagues who were detained at the Surabaya Police Station to be issued immediately.

Khofifah together with the Pangdam and student representatives then went to the Polrestabes to ensure that the demands were followed up.

According to him, several people who were detained were still 15-16 years old, so the Kapolda decided to hand them over directly to the family.

"That night until early morning, until (at) 01.30 WIB whose family members had come to pick them up, all were sent home," he said.

Khofifah also confirmed that the victims who were injured as a result of the mass action received full treatment from the East Java Provincial Government at dr. Saiful Anwar Malang and dr. Soetomo Hospital Surabaya.

Regarding the damage to the building, Khofifah said that the right and left of the Grahadi Building had been installed with police lines by the Surabaya Police for examination purposes.

"Hopefully, the police line installed by the Surabaya Poltabes and the inspection process by the Poltabes to see the sides of Grahadi that were damaged due to the process of throwing Molotov cocktails can all be identified," he said.

Khofifah also straightened out the news that the house of the Deputy Governor of East Java Emil Dardak was also looted in chaos. According to him, what caught fire was the Deputy Governor's office which was also in the Grahadi complex.

"No, no, so that's the Deputy Governor's Office in Grahadi, not the house, that's what caught fire in the west front is the Deputy Governor's office," said Khofifah.

It is known that the west side of the Grahadi State Building on Jalan Raya Governor Suryo Surabaya was burned by anarchist masses on Saturday, August 30, at around 21.38 WIB.

There are a number of rooms, one of which is the pressroom or the pressroom of journalists who usually cover the activities of the Governor of East Java Khofifah Indar Parawansa.

The crowd burned Grahadi approximately 1.5 hours after Khofifah met the demonstrators.

"After that they started throwing bottles and Molotov cocktails into the western side of the Grahadi State Building," said one of the eyewitnesses, Anwar, a resident of Gubeng Surabaya.