Bali, Indonesia Sentinel — Hundreds of protesters from the Kesatria Keris Bali Foundation stormed the Bali Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD) office on Friday (February 7, 2025) in response to a controversial visual display featuring Lord Shiva at a DJ performance at Atlas Beach Club.
According to Detik, demonstrators entered the DPRD building while chanting Indonesia’s patriotic song Maju Tak Gentar and carrying banners that read, “Shut Down Atlas Club for Desecrating Hindu Religious Symbols” and “Defend Hindu Honor.”
Nyoman Agus Sariawan, the protest coordinator, stated that the demonstration aimed to voice their concerns and demand action. “Our purpose here is to uphold justice for Bali. Please respect the existing laws to prevent legal issues from arising,” he asserted.
Ketut Putra Ismaya Jaya, also known as Jero Bima, the chairman of the Kesatria Keris Bali Foundation, emphasized that the incident constituted religious blasphemy and deeply insulted the Hindu community.
“What was displayed at Atlas was highly inappropriate,” he said, stressing the sacred nature of Shiva in Hinduism. He urged authorities to take immediate steps to protect sacred Hindu symbols from misuse.
Protesters Demands
According to NusaBali, Jero Bima outlined seven key demands, including the temporary closure of Atlas Beach Club as a penalty for the incident. The protesters demanded a direct public apology from Atlas, both in person and via the club’s social media platforms.
They also called for clear legal action against those responsible and urged the DPRD to draft new regional regulations (Perda) to prevent the misuse of Hindu symbols in the future.
“If DPRD Bali fails to act, we will mobilize an even larger crowd and march directly to Atlas Beach Club,” Jero Bima warned. “This is not just about an apology, it’s about concrete action to ensure that religious symbols are no longer exploited in the nightlife industry.”
DPRD Responds
In response to the protest, Deputy Chairman of Commission I of DPRD Badung, I Gusti Lanang Umbara, called for the temporary suspension of Atlas Super Club’s specific activities while the controversy is being addressed.
“As long as this issue remains unresolved, the venue should be temporarily closed, at least for its nightclub operations,” Lanang Umbara stated, as reported by Detik.
He also supported the formation of a special investigative team to examine the use of Lord Shiva’s image at Atlas, as well as broader administrative concerns related to the club’s operations.
“The team should include representatives from various sectors, including licensing, cultural affairs, and law enforcement, such as the local Culture Agency, the Licensing Office, and the Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP),” he added.
Lanang acknowledged that the nightclub’s display of Lord Shiva’s image had sparked widespread public outrage. He confirmed that DPRD had received multiple complaints from the community demanding immediate action.
Atlas Apology
The controversy erupted after Atlas Super Club used an image of Lord Shiva as a backdrop during a DJ music performance, sparking backlash from the Hindu community in Bali.
Nyoman Kenak, Chairman of the Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI) Bali, confirmed that the organization had sent a legal notice (somasi) to Atlas, giving the club seven days to formally respond to the concerns raised.
Atlas Super Club later issued an official apology during a meeting at the PHDI Bali office. Six club representatives attended the discussion, which lasted about an hour. “They explained that the incident was unintentional and apologized,” Kenak said, as reported by Detik, on Thursday (February 6, 2025).
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Bali Hindu Community Outraged Over Nightclub Displaying Lord Shiva as DJ Visual
According to Atlas, the incident occurred due to a lack of oversight. A staff member had reportedly downloaded an image of Lord Shiva from the internet and used it as a stage backdrop for a DJ performance on Thursday (January 30, 2025).
Despite the apology, tensions remain high as the Hindu community awaits further action from both the club and local authorities.
(Raidi/Agung)
