At least three people were killed after protesters set fire to a regional parliament building in Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi province, in the latest wave of violent demonstrations sweeping Indonesia. The blaze, which began late Friday, left five others hospitalized with burns or broken bones after jumping from the structure, local disaster official Fadli Tahar said.
The fire marked one of the deadliest incidents in nearly a week of protests that have expanded to multiple provinces. In West Java's Bandung city, demonstrators torched another parliament building Friday, while in Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city, protesters stormed regional police headquarters, destroying fences and torching vehicles before security forces responded with tear gas and water cannons.
Local media reported further arson on Saturday, with parliamentary buildings in West Nusa Tenggara, Pekalongan in Central Java, and Cirebon in West Java set ablaze. Detik.com reported looting of office equipment in Cirebon, while police fired tear gas in Pekalongan and West Nusa Tenggara to disperse crowds. Reuters said it could not independently confirm those reports.
Riot police fired water cannon and teargas at protesters in Indonesia rallying in front of parliament over large allowances for MPs — that are almost 10 times the minimum wage. pic.twitter.com/aKJ2tszhTK — DW News (@dwnews) August 28, 2025
The protests were initially triggered in Jakarta on Monday after reports that all 580 lawmakers receive a monthly housing allowance of 50 million rupiah ($3,075), nearly 10 times the minimum wage in the capital. Anger intensified after the death of 21-year-old ride-hailing driver Affan Kurniawan on Thursday. Witnesses told local television that an armored vehicle from the National Police's Mobile Brigade sped through a crowd and struck Kurniawan, who was delivering food orders, before running over him.
His death, captured on video circulating widely on social media, shocked the nation and fueled demands for accountability. Authorities confirmed that seven members of the police motor brigade linked to the incident have been detained and questioned.
Jakarta and other cities saw pitched clashes between riot police and protesters through the week. The National Commission on Human Rights, or Komnas HAM, said about 951 people were arrested in Jakarta alone by Thursday. Authorities reported that 25 police officers were hospitalized with serious injuries. Komnas HAM said the number of community injuries was likely far higher.
Calm returned to the capital Saturday as workers cleared burned-out cars, police offices and bus shelters. But demonstrations persisted elsewhere. Local media reported protests in Bali, including outside police headquarters, where officers again used tear gas. Jakarta's mass transit operator said trains bypassed a central station near Friday's clashes, while the city's bus services were disrupted.
Amnesty International Indonesia condemned the crackdown. "No one should lose their lives for exercising their right to protest," said Usman Hamid, the group's executive director. "The authorities must immediately and unconditionally release anyone detained solely for exercising their rights."
National police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo said President Prabowo Subianto had ordered authorities to take firm action against protesters who broke the law, signaling that the government will not ease pressure despite mounting international criticism.
