Long Queues for Free Meals at TNI Fair 2026, Several Visitors Miss Out

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Long queues marked the TNI Fair 2026 event at the Monas intersection area in Central Jakarta on Saturday (19/9/2026).

Under the blazing sun, residents willingly crowded and waited patiently to receive a free meal box from the field kitchen provided by the TNI AL Marine Corps.

The field kitchen truck, adorned with a red-yellow banner reading "Field Kitchen of the TNI AL Marine Corps, Free Meals for the Community", became the center of the crowd.

People of all ages, from children to the elderly, were seen queuing around the truck. They took turns climbing a small staircase on the side of the truck to collect their meal portions.

Each meal box contained white rice, pieces of chicken, vegetables, and a bottle of drinking water.

Several Marine soldiers wearing purple berets stood guard at the location, assisting in the distribution and managing the flow of continuously arriving visitors.

Although the distribution was orderly, not all those in line were able to receive food.

The queue kept extending as more visitors arrived at the exhibition area.

Waiting Over Half an Hour, Food Runs Out

Kartika (29) said she joined the queue after noticing many people gathered around the field kitchen.

She happened to be hungry and hoped she would still get a meal.

"I saw many people queuing, so I joined since I hadn't eaten yet. I thought if I queued I would definitely get some," Kartika said when met at the site.

She admitted spending more than half an hour waiting. The line moved slowly due to the large number of visitors.

However, as she approached the front, she was informed that the food had run out.

"I didn't get any. When I was near the front, they said the food was finished," she added.

Kartika said the heat was the most challenging part of waiting in line. Yet, many still stayed hopeful of receiving the meal.