Overview

• Riot police fired tear gas and used water cannon as demonstrators tried to reach the Parliament complex in Jakarta, with streets blocked and traffic snarled.
• Reports said some protesters hurled rocks and set fires near the compound, and authorities reported no immediate injuries or confirmed arrests.
• The 50 million rupiah monthly housing allowance for 580 lawmakers, reported as in place since September 2024 and announced publicly last week, far exceeds typical incomes and local minimum wages.
• Senior lawmakers defended the benefit as carefully calculated for Jakarta costs, citing the end of official residences, while police deployed about 1,250 personnel to secure the area.
• Student groups demanded scrapping or cutting lawmakers’ perks and called for broader political changes, as online backlash swelled with the hashtag #bubarkanDPR trending and parallel protests reported in other cities.