Hundreds of Indonesians protested at sites across Jakarta yesterday over the death of a civilian hit by a police vehicle, triggering calls for police reform in the first major test for President Prabowo Subianto’s nearly year-old government.
The civilian, a motorcycle ride-sharing driver, was hit at the site of violent clashes on Thursday near parliament as police sought to disperse demonstrators protesting about issues including legislators’ pay and education funding.
The protests yesterday afternoon prompted a number of schools in the capital to allow students to leave early and banks and businesses to ask employees to work from home.
The military has been deployed in some areas, visuals broadcast by local media showed.
Drivers, students in colourful jackets and Indonesians from other walks of life descended on the country’s parliament and police headquarters in Jakarta to stage protests, throwing rocks at the gates and chanting “Killer! Killer!”
Wearing their signature green jackets, drivers also staged protests in other cities, including Bandung and Surabaya on Java island and Gorontalo on Sulawesi.
After darkness fell, heavy rain in Jakarta dispersed some students and drivers from the police headquarters, though a few remained keeping alight a fire built from tyres and bamboo while singing patriotic songs.
Police fired tear gas at protesters trying to enter the headquarters.
&uuid=(email))