A wave of planned protests in Jakarta was called off today. Student groups and various citizen organizations announced they would not gather. They pointed to stricter security and weekend violence across the country as reasons. The decision reflects a growing concern for safety among those wishing to make their voices heard.
These demonstrations first began last week. They quickly spread to many areas. Things got much worse after a police car struck and killed a motorcycle taxi driver. This tragic event happened on the evening of August 28. By Monday, the Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, confirmed that eight people had died in the unrest.
On Sunday, President Prabowo Subianto stepped in to try and calm the situation. He announced that political parties had agreed to cut benefits for members of parliament. The President also ordered the military and police to deal with rioters. These groups had broken into politicians’ homes and government buildings, causing much destruction.
One of the groups, the Indonesian Women’s Alliance, is led by women. They explained their decision to delay a protest at the parliament building. In an Instagram post on Sunday, they said they wanted to avoid a harsh response from authorities. “This delay is to avoid potential increased violence from officials, and will be postponed until the situation calms down,” their message read. Student groups also pushed back their plans, stating the current circumstances were “extremely unfavorable.”
Meanwhile, some student groups in Purwakarta, West Java, and Yogyakarta still said they would protest today. However, it was not immediately clear if these gatherings actually happened. People on social media also warned about fake protest calls, telling everyone to be careful.
Even government officials felt the sting of the chaos. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati shared on Instagram that her own home was targeted by looters. She called for an end to the looting. She also apologized for any failings on the government’s part.
The unrest and violence left a mark on the financial markets. The stock market dropped more than 3% when it opened on Monday. But the Economic Minister, Airlangga Hartarto, assured everyone that the country’s economy remains strong. He added that future government plans to boost the economy would help it recover.
Source: Reuters