Jakarta, Indonesia – The official association representing online motorcycle taxi (ojol) drivers in Indonesia has stated that the drivers who recently met with Vice President gibran rakabuming Raka are not members of their association. The clarification comes amid rising tensions following national demonstrations on Thursday, August 28th, sparked by demands regarding parliamentary salaries and outrage over the death of ojol driver Affan Kurniawan.
According to Igun, a representative of the association, the meeting with Gibran lacked coordination with official ojol institutions and appeared to further fuel negative sentiment among drivers. He criticized what he described as a premature push for a “peaceful” narrative, arguing it overshadowed the ongoing legal process surrounding Kurniawan’s death and a proper inquiry of the incident. Igun urged Gibran to engage with the officially recognized ojol driver’s association for future dialog, emphasizing they represent institutions, not individuals.
The demonstrations, initially peaceful, escalated into clashes with authorities in multiple cities including Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, and Solo. In Jakarta, protesters gathered in the Senen area and near the Brimob Command Headquarters in Kwitang, resulting in the use of tear gas after demonstrators threw stones. Similar scenes of road blockades, burning objects, and confrontations with police unfolded in other regions, with water cannons deployed in Surabaya. Solidarity with Affan Kurniawan remains a central rallying cry for the ongoing protests.