Deadly Protests in Indonesia Test New President Prabowo Subianto’s Government as Demonstrations Spread Across Major Cities

In Indonesia’s capital city of Makassar, located in South Sulawesi province, a regional parliament building was set ablaze by protesters over the weekend, resulting in three fatalities and five injuries. The disaster management agency did not specify the causes of death but reported that two injuries were due to individuals jumping from the burning structure.

The Antara news agency claimed that those who perished were trapped within the building as it burned. The demonstrations mark a significant challenge for President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, entering its sixth month in office following his inauguration last October.

Protests ignited earlier this week in Jakarta, sparked by lawmakers’ pay disputes, and intensified on Friday after an unfortunate incident involving a police armored vehicle that struck and killed the driver of a ride-hailing motorbike. President Prabowo paid his respects to the driver’s family late on Friday, expressing condolences and promising an in-depth investigation into the accident.

On Friday, isolated incidents of looting were reported in Jakarta, as well as damage to various transportation facilities within the city. Additionally, demonstrations occurred in major cities such as Bandung and Yogyakarta. Local media outlets also reported disruptions on Jakarta’s mass rapid transit railway and Transjakarta bus service due to Friday’s unrest.

As of Saturday morning, there were no immediate indicators of further protests occurring across the nation.