What started as anger over low wages and politicians’ perks has now turned deadly in Indonesia.
Three people were killed after protesters torched a council building in the country’s east, while chaos spread across major cities.
At the heart of it all is the death of 21-year-old ride-sharing driver Affan Kurniawan.
He was run over by a police vehicle during earlier demonstrations—a tragedy that’s now become a rallying cry for thousands.
His funeral on Friday drew not only grieving friends and colleagues, but also politicians and police officials.
Jakarta’s police chief publicly apologized.
President Prabowo Subianto told the family he was “shocked and disappointed by the excessive actions of the officers.”
Still, apologies haven’t calmed the streets.
What Happened There?
Protesters marched on police headquarters in Jakarta, chanting for justice and clashing with security forces.
Tear gas filled the air, Molotov cocktails were hurled, and vehicles set ablaze.
“Arrest the damn officers,” read one banner strung across a bridge.
Seven elite police officers have already been found guilty of breaching ethics rules.
But behind the rage lies another grievance: lawmakers’ new $3,000 monthly allowance—nearly ten times Jakarta’s minimum wage.
For delivery riders scraping by, that disparity feels like salt in an open wound.
Indonesia’s leaders may be asking protesters to stand down.
But the question on the streets is louder: how many more Affans will it take before something changes?
