A wave of unrest swept across Indonesia after footage showed a motorcycle taxi driver being run over by a police tactical vehicle during demonstrations over low wages and perks for lawmakers. In the days that followed the incident, protesters torched regional parliamentary buildings in West Nusa Tenggara, Pekalongan in Central Java and Cirebon in West Java, sending a message of anger over perceived injustice.
The most severe confrontation took place in the coastal city of Makassar, where demonstrators broke into the council building, hurled rocks and Molotov cocktails and set parts of the complex alight. Authorities said three people – two council employees and a civil servant – died in the blaze after they were unable to escape the flames.
Indonesia’s national police chief, Listyo Sigit Prabowo, said President Prabowo Subianto had ordered a firm response to those who resort to violence while also ensuring a transparent investigation into the driver’s death. He appealed for calm and urged the public to trust the government.
In the capital, hundreds gathered outside the Mobile Brigade Corps headquarters, blaming officers there for the taxi driver’s death. Police deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd and detained seven officers for questioning as part of the investigation.
*This report is based on coverage by Reuters and The Guardian.*
