Riot police have fired rounds of tear gasoline and water canons at stone throwing protestors as unrest over alleged lavish MP allowances and income inequality rumbles on. Jakarta is bracing itself for more protests immediately after Affan Kurniawan, a bike taxi driver, was run over and killed by police on Thursday, an incident that has fueled public anger further.
Thousands of people attended his funeral while others gathered outside the police headquarters to demand justice for his death. In a press convention last evening, police said they had arrested seven police officers associated to the incident and apologised. President Prabowo said he was “shocked and disappointed by the excessive actions of the officers” and that he has ordered an investigation into the incident. In retaliation around 1,000 bike taxi drivers stormed a particular ops police building in the Javanese metropolis of Surakarta with some drivers calling the drive “murderers”.
As tensions boiled over, protesters threw stones and bottles at police and Brimob personnel guarding the premises.
Also immediately “dozens” of tear gasoline was fired in a span of quarter-hour at protesters outside the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) headquarters in Central Jakarta this morning, according to the BBC. Protesters confirmed indicators of problem respiration and coughing.
Indonesia’s capital has been at the centre of unrest all week as 1000’s of college students, staff and activists make their voices heard against a month-to-month housing allowance of 50 million rupiah ($US3,075) for MPs, which is virtually 10 instances the Jakarta minimal wage.
Protestors are also demanding larger wages, decrease taxes and stronger anti-corruption measures. The anger comes amid strict austerity measures carried out by president Prabowo, including cuts to schooling, health and public works.
Protests have also unfold outside of Jakarta to Jawa Barat where demonstrators have gathered around a bonfire and marched to a authorities building. Meanwhile, in Surakarta, around six hours east of Jakarta, a protest march has also begun.
Senior Commissioner Ade Ary from the Jakarta native police accused protesters of burning flags, damaging the parliament building fence, vandalising CCTV cameras and defacing busway dividers.
“This endangers motorists and disrupts public order,” he said.
On Tuesday, his workplace said they had detained 351 protesters for “damaging public facilities”.
“Students were urged not to be easily provoked by calls on social media to participate in risky activities, and those spreading such calls were urged to desist,” the police said in a assertion on social media.
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