Indonesia Faces Escalating Protests Over Lawmaker Perks and Police Conduct
Published On 31 Aug 2025
Indonesia is grappling with widespread and increasingly violent protests sparked by public anger over financial benefits enjoyed by lawmakers alongside reports of low wages for ordinary citizens. The demonstrations, which escalated over the weekend, represent the most meaningful challenge yet to the presidency of Prabowo Subianto, less than a year into his term.
The unrest was fueled by a viral video allegedly showing an armored police vehicle striking a delivery rider during a recent rally.This incident, involving motorcycle gig worker Affan Kurniawan, ignited outrage across the nation and prompted renewed demonstrations in multiple cities.
Tragically, the protests turned deadly in eastern indonesia, where a fire at a council building on Saturday resulted in at least three fatalities, according to a local official.
Demonstrations have spread throughout the archipelago.In Bali, a popular tourist destination, hundreds of students and ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers gathered at police headquarters. Similar rallies took place in Surabaya, with students protesting outside the East Java police headquarters. The intensity of the situation led TikTok, a widely used social media platform with over 100 million Indonesian users, to temporarily suspend its live streaming feature for several days.
In Jakarta, hundreds assembled outside the headquarters of the Mobile Brigade Corps (Brimob), the paramilitary police unit accused of responsibility for Kurniawan’s death.
President Subianto has responded by calling for calm and ordering a full investigation into the delivery rider’s death, promising accountability for any officers found responsible. He also cancelled a scheduled trip to China next week to attend a military parade commemorating the end of World War II, opting to remain in Indonesia to oversee the response to the escalating crisis.
