At least three fatalities were caused by a fire ignited by demonstrators at a council building in the Indonesian city of Makassar, following widespread protests across the nation in response to the death of a motorcycle taxi driver run over by a police vehicle. Major cities in Indonesia, including the capital Jakarta, were shaken by protests on Friday after footage emerged of a gig motorcycle driver being hit by a police tactical vehicle during previous rallies concerning low wages and perceived luxurious perks for lawmakers. Chaos ensued in Makassar as protesters set ablaze both the provincial and local city council buildings, throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails. According to Rahmat Mappatoba, secretary of the Makassar city council, three individuals lost their lives due to the fire at the city council building, accusing protesters of entering the office to set it alight. Two of the victims were council staff members, and one was a civil servant. Two people died at the scene, while another died in the hospital. At least four other individuals sustained injuries from the fire and were treated in the hospital. Extensive images showed the provincial council building engulfed in flames overnight, but the fire has since been extinguished. Protesters attempted to force their way into the South Sulawesi provincial council building. In Jakarta, thousands of people assembled outside the headquarters of the Mobile Brigade Corp paramilitary police, the unit blamed for the motorcycle gig driver’s death. They hurled firecrackers and objects at the police, who responded with tear gas. Police detained seven officers for questioning in connection with Affan Kuniawan’s death, according to their reports. The protests marked the largest and most violent during Prabowo Subianto’s presidency, presenting a significant test for him less than a year into his rule, prompting him to swiftly call for calm, order an investigation, and visit the family of the deceased driver. Protests against government budget cuts to fund his populist policies have already been ongoing, as well as his pledge for rapid, state-led growth. Protests extended to other major Indonesian cities on Friday, including Yogyakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Surabaya on Java, and Medan in North Sumatra province.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/30/fire-kills-three-people-in-indonesia-after-protesters-storm-council-buildings-in-the-wake-of-taxi-drivers-death
