The worst wave of long-standing violent protests in Indonesia appears to have paused for now after the government ordered the military and police to take harsh actions against rioters and looters.
Some students and civil society groups cancelled the protest on Monday, citing fears over the rising security measures imposed after the fatal riots across the country over the weekend, Reuters reported. However, local media reports show that despite the threat of police attacks, hundreds have gathered at a university in Bandung, West Java.
At least eight people have been killed in the protest, peacefully starting controversial housing perks for lawmakers, but exploded on Thursday when an armored police vehicle attacked and killed a ride-share driver, Reuters reported.
The mayhem escalated over the weekend as thousands of protesters across the vast archipelago set fire to legislative buildings and looted lawmakers’ homes.
Indonesia’s national police have arrested 3,195 people nationwide, including 1,240 in the capital Jakarta, Antara, a government-run news agency.
Economic and political frustration has been brewed for months under the leadership of Indonesian President Prabobo Subaint, who took office last October and was forced to cancel plans for China this week.
Prabowo made concessions days after the fatal protest, but his deep complaints about his policy have not yet been addressed.
Here’s what you need to know.
Last Monday, a protester made up primarily of students and union members, opposed the monthly housing allowance ($3,000) that began last Monday outside the Jakarta House of Representatives, and was opposed to monthly housing allowances ($3,000) that are more than 10 times the average monthly minimum wage for lawmakers.
Daniel Winalta, president of the Jakarta Regal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta), said as wages stagnated and the costs of living rose, many of the complaints centered around the worsening economic difficulties for ordinary Indonesians.
“People have low purchasing power and we are struggling here,” Winarta told CNN. “Our council representatives are showing off their wealth… these representatives don’t represent us.”
On the evening of Thursday (August 28), an armored police vehicle attacked and killed ride-sharing bike driver Awan Kurnawan in a collision between police and protesters in Jakarta.
His death sparked more protests over the weekend, spreading to other major cities across the country.
Short video app Tiktok said it would shut down its live functionality in Indonesia for several days on Saturday to “keep Tiktok safe and civic space.”
The tense scene broke out on Sunday when troops were deployed to protect the Presidential Palace, but the looters broke into a house owned by Finance Minister Sri Muryani Indrawati outside the capital Jakarta.
Speaking at a press conference at the Presidential Palace, Prabobo announced on Sunday, adjacent to leaders of various political parties that Indonesian parties have reached a consensus to reduce the interests of lawmakers.
However, he also ordered the military and police to take harsh actions against rioters and looters, suggesting that the elements of violence are similar to acts of terrorism and rebellion.
Amnesty International said attaching these labels to protesters ignored the underlying reasons for the protest.
“It is excessive to label public demonstrations with treason and terrorism accusations as “splitting a conflict” when people are expressing concern about problematic government policies, especially when they are constantly presented with stories of “foreign intervention” and “entering conflicts.”
“The President’s statement is insensitive to all the complaints and aspirations expressed by the public during the demonstrations.”
Cho Yong Gi, a 22-year-old university student, said people will continue to express criticism of the government on social media despite warnings from Prabowo.
“I don’t think there’s a risk of speaking up, but if you go down the street to demonstrate, there’s a fear that there might be some undercover police or military personnel to arrest people.”
Prabowo, a former Army general with a controversial past, took over as the world’s third largest democratic president in October last year, pledged to tackle corruption and increase the independence of his people.
But many of his flagship policies are controversial, and the latest protests represent the most important challenge ever for his leadership.
The demonstrations against Prabowo’s policy began with the Gelap Indonesia (Dark Indonesia) movement in February 2025. This sought to reform that allocated more civilian positions for military officers, but soon became snowballed by social issues such as police violence and corruption.
Prabowo’s free school lunch program has been undermined by cases of heavy food poisoning across the archipelago, with 1,000 people sick since its launch in January. People were already upset about reducing road maintenance and other budget reallocations to fund the program.
The proposal to raise land and property taxes also fueled anger, including protests in the town of Patty.
Human Rights Watch researcher Andreas Halsono told CNN that Prabowo is gaining popularity among the most enthusiastic supporters and supporters from the military and business elite.
But the “very scattered and extremely diverse” dissatisfied Indonesians would not support him and wanted them to hear their voices, Halson said.
“It takes less than a year, but since Prabowo took office last October, we’ve seen at least three major protests,” he said. It was mentioned between the recent protests and the Labor Day on May 1 and the Independence Day on August 17th.
Whether these protests are rekindled with a new vitality of throwing Prabobo out of their jobs depends on how the government responds to economic dissatisfaction, Halsono said.
People are still upset by what is considered a lack of change, and the government’s violent crackdown on recent protests, 28-year-old Jorgiana Augustine told CNN.
“Public anger stems from a very long-term economic problem, and this week’s events are merely a catalyst,” she said.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if another protest were to occur again.”
