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4h ago

Indonesia Unrest Deepens After Viral Police Killing, With Perk Cuts and Security Clampdown

A student-led movement is channeling anger over elite perks into sustained nationwide pressure for reform.

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Students hold candles at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in Bandung, West Java on September 2, 2025, as they pay tribute to victims killed during a clash between police and demonstrators demanding police reform and the dissolution of parliament. At least six people have been killed and 20 are missing after violent protests rocked Southeast Asia's biggest economy last week, sparked by lavish perks for Indonesian lawmakers that have widened to include anger against police, a rights group said on September 2, 2025. (Photo by Timur Matahari / AFP) (Photo by TIMUR MATAHARI/AFP via Getty Images)

Overview

  • At least eight people have died, hundreds are injured and more than 1,240 have been arrested in Jakarta, with protests reported in at least 32 of 38 provinces.
  • Police and military units are deployed in major cities, with tear gas and water cannon used as buildings were torched and fatalities reported in Makassar.
  • Outrage followed video showing delivery driver Affan Kurniawan fatally struck by an armored police vehicle, a turning point that intensified the unrest.
  • President Prabowo Subianto canceled a foreign trip, pledged to cut lawmakers’ perks including the housing allowance and announced a police probe into Kurniawan’s death while ordering firm action against violence.
  • Protesters circulate “17+8” demands for near-term and structural changes, as social media drives mobilization, TikTok disables livestreams and rights groups including the UN call for independent investigations.