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6h ago

Indonesia Unrest Escalates After Driver's Death as Makassar Council Fire Kills Three

Public anger centers on lawmakers' housing stipends during a period of rising living costs.

Protesters gather near the burning regional parliament building, during a protest after a motorcycle taxi driver died after being struck and run over by a police tactical vehicle during Thursday's protest against parliamentarians' allowances, in Makassar, South Sulawesi province, Indonesia, August 30, 2025. REUTERS/Iqbal Lubis
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Protesters walk by as the local parliament building is engulfed in flames during a protest following the death of a delivery rider in clashes between riot police and students protesting against lawmakers' allowances in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Friday, Aug. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/ Masyudi Firmansyah)
Cars are burnt at the regional parliament premises, during a protest after a motorcycle taxi driver died after being struck and run over by a police tactical vehicle during Thursday's protest against parliamentarians' allowances, in Makassar, South Sulawesi province, Indonesia, August 30, 2025. REUTERS/Iqbal Lubis

Overview

  • Protests spread across major cities including Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Medan, Makassar and Bali, with clashes, arson and hundreds of arrests reported.
  • Police said seven officers linked to the armored vehicle that struck Affan Kurniawan were detained for 20 days for ethics violations as questioning continues.
  • A blaze at the Makassar city council building left at least three people dead and several injured, local officials said.
  • President Prabowo Subianto offered condolences, urged calm, ordered a transparent investigation and visited the victim’s family.
  • Economic and information fallout followed, with the rupiah and stocks sliding on Friday and TikTok pausing live video in Indonesia after government pressure to curb disinformation.