Protests worsened overnight across major cities of Indonesia, far beyond the capital, Jakarta, as demonstrators defied Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s call for calm.
The most serious unrest was seen in the eastern city of Makassar, while protests also unfolded in Bandung, Surabaya, Solo and Yogyakarta. By yesterday morning, crowds had dispersed in Jakarta. Troops patrolled the streets with tactical vehicles and helped civilians clear trash, although smoke was still rising in various protest sites.
Three people died and five were injured in Makassar when protesters set fire to the regional parliament building during a plenary session on Friday evening, according to a report by CNN Indonesia.
Photo: AFP
The mayor and other top officials were evacuated, it said.
A number of people were also injured in Bandung, about 2.5 hours by car from the capital, Mayor Muhammad Farhan said in a text message yesterday.
Four buildings, including a legislative guest house, were completely destroyed after people burnt them down, he added.
Photo: AFP
In Jakarta, several police stations were targeted by crowds, with one in the city’s east pelted with Molotov cocktails, according to a report by Detik.
Graffiti also filled the walls and sidewalks surrounding the Jakarta police headquarters, situated next to the Indonesian Stock Exchange in the central business district.
Portions of Jakarta’s inner city toll road remained shut yesterday after seven toll gates, including those near the national parliament’s headquarters, were burned. The Transjakarta citywide bus services were also completely shut after seven stops were burned overnight. Several subway stations were closed as a safety precaution.
Police posts were burned in Indonesia’s second-largest city of Surabaya, while demonstrations were held in front of police offices in Yogyakarta and Solo, local media reported.
At least 600 protesters have been arrested, reports said.
The unrest in Indonesia comes in a week of political tumult for the broader region after a Thai court ousted Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra for ethics violations. Indonesia’s Prabowo, who came to power 10 months ago, now faces a major test as he attempts to execute his agenda to supercharge growth in Southeast Asia’s largest economy.
The protests began on Monday due to rising discontent over jobs and wages, especially when contrasted with the perceived wealth of his lawmaker allies. The death of a motorcycle taxi driver, crushed by a police armored vehicle on Thursday evening, further fueled anger.
The president called for calm on Friday and urged the public to be vigilant against “elements that always want to cause unrest and chaos.”
Prabowo also criticized the police’s response, promised to hold officers accountable for the death of driver Affan Kurniawan and visited his family home on Friday night to offer his condolences.
Amnesty International called for a thorough and independent investigation of the police crackdown and the killing of Kurniawan to “ensure that all perpetrators, including those at command level, face fair trials publicly, and not mere internal or administrative sanctions,” the group said in a statement on Friday.
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