On Friday, August 29 (local time), mass protests erupted in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, after a police armored vehicle struck civilians.
Reuters and Associated Press said the protests were caused by intense clashes near the House of Representatives on Thursday night, which included high salaries for lawmakers and insufficient funding for education.
The police in Jakarta were dispersing a protest near Parliament when an armored police car rammed a motorcyclist, Afan Kurniawan, who the police said was not participating in the protest but was passing by.
Afan's deathAfter the news broke, a large number of motorcycle drivers gathered outside the riot police headquarters on Thursday night. They were not here to ask for pay, but for an explanation.
People's anger is growing stronger and stronger
By Friday, protests swept through Jakarta, with motorcycle drivers, students and citizens from all walks of life gathering outside the parliament building and police headquarters, shouting "Murderer!", "Give us justice!" And throwing stones at the gate.
Some schools quit early, banks and also urgently arranged for employees to work at home to avoid getting caught up in chaos. Local media footage showed that in some areas the army was mobilized to maintain order.
In addition to the police, even Indonesia's legislature was not spared.
Archie Restie, a comedian, stood in the crowd to express his dissatisfaction outside parliament: "My friends and I are fed up, extremely dissatisfied with the high housing allowances of MPs, and powerless with all kinds of inaction!"
Not only Jakarta, but also in cities such as Surabaya and Bandung in Java and Gorontalo in Sulawesi, motorcycle drivers wearing iconic green coats also took to the streets to protest.
"We don't want any more brothers to die in vain," said fellow traveler Pendi Nasir, 43. "We are just ordinary people who support their families by taking care of each other. Who would ever want to lose a life like this?"
On Friday afternoon, Kunyan's funeral took place in Jakarta. Hundreds of motorcycles formed a fleet stretching several kilometers, engines sounding down, and escorting his spirits slowly through the city center.
Police response
In the face of growing public outrage, Jakarta police responded swiftly. Capital Police Chief Arthur Eddie Suhri admitted that Avan Kuniayan was killed by a police car in the clash on Thursday, and he publicly apologized to Kuniayan family.
Jakarta police also announced that the seven police officers involved were detained for 20 days for violating professional ethics and said the investigation was still ongoing.
Prabowo, Indonesia's president, was also quick to speak out after the incident, saying in a video statement: "I am shocked and disappointed by the excesses of certain law enforcement officials. I have ordered a thorough and transparent investigation and those involved must be held accountable."
These measures have failed to fully quell public discontent. Legal Aid Jakarta has called on the government to immediately release the 600 people arrested during the protests, arguing that their personal freedom should not be arbitrarily deprived, and has urged a comprehensive reform of police law enforcement practices.
Mad Supiatma, a visiting scholar at the Yousafzai Institute in Singapore, warned: “If Prabhupada is mismanaged, the protests could evolve into a larger chaos.”