On the anniversary of last year's deadly nationwide riots, major Indonesian cities such as Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Makassar saw anti-corruption protests on August 27.
Tens of thousands gathered outside the Jakarta Parliament Building, demanding Parliament to speed up the passage of the “Asset Seizure Bill,” which would allow the government to confiscate assets related to crimes such as corruption and money laundering, while also urging the death penalty for severe corruption offenders. Indonesian Deputy Speaker Sufmi promised that the long-delayed bill would be passed by December 15.
The atmosphere at the rally site was highly tense, with some demonstrators wearing helmets and masks attempting to storm the Parliament gates, throwing debris inside, and setting tires on fire in the streets.
Tension flared up outside the Parliament in the afternoon when citizens clashed with police who attempted to drive away a street vendor. The two sides pushed and shouted at each other, with some in the crowd throwing bottles and plastic water containers at officers. Fortunately, the conflict was quickly brought under control and the situation did not deteriorate.
According to The Jakarta Globe, prior to the gathering, police detained 65 suspects believed to be ringleaders and found in possession of dangerous items such as Molotov cocktails and air rifles.
Due to the nationwide protests from last August to September which escalated into deadly riots resulting in 10 deaths and nearly 7,000 people arrested, authorities took strict precautions this time. Police deployed 18,500 officers in Jakarta, established strong security perimeters inside and outside the Parliament building, and blocked main roads around Parliament.
Protest organizer representative Khairul said they hoped the government would halt the free meal program and militarization policies, as well as reduce staple food prices.
He stated: “We chose August 27 for our rally because of the riots and various events that occurred at this time last year. Today, we want to express our demands, not incite chaos.”
Nevertheless, the gatherings around the Parliament and the Senayan area devolved into unrest in the evening, with the situation escalating through the morning of the 28th.
Some protesters stayed overnight at the site, sporadic clashes continued, public facilities were maliciously damaged, urban rail service and road traffic experienced temporary diversions and congestion, and overall order in the city was significantly affected.
Eyewitnesses reported that among those committing arson and causing disturbances were groups of students in school uniforms. In addition to torching police vehicles, they vandalized public facilities, carried out malicious graffiti, and damaged public property.
At 5:19 am on the 28th, a new round of clashes broke out under the Slipi flyover, with the lingering smell of tear gas in the air, surrounding areas stinging with acrid fumes, and public order and the environment thrown into chaos.