The country’s president, Prabowo Subianto, was forced to reverse a salary increase for lawmakers, but unions and student groups are also demanding improved working conditions and funding for educational programs, among other needs.
Images of the death of a young man struck by a police vehicle in front of Parliament last Thursday sparked the anger of several protesters who went to police headquarters on Friday to demand justice and a thorough investigation into the incident.
Clashes with the elite paramilitary police unit in the capital led to violent scenes that sparked protests in other cities across the archipelago, including Yogyakarta, Bandung, Semarang, and Surabaya in Java, and Medan in North Sumatra province.
In Makassar alone, on the eastern island of Sulawesi, four protesters died, while the government condemned the looting of the finance minister’s home.
Prabowo had no choice but to cancel a trip planned for this week to China, where he had planned to attend a military parade commemorating the end of World War II.
For his part, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin urged the military and police to take “firm action” against “rioters and looters” and ordered a convoy of armed vehicles to guard Parliament.
Recent reforms and scandals related to the political class have generated widespread popular rejection, which is channeled through massive demonstrations demanding justice, greater transparency, and profound political transformations.
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