Three dead, five injured in Indonesia as protests escalate and parliament set on fire

Three people were killed and five injured in Indonesia after protesters set fire to a regional parliament building in Makassar. The violence escalated after a police armored vehicle struck and killed a ride-hailing driver in Jakarta, sparking nationwide unrest.

The fire in Makassar, South Sulawesi province, occurred on Friday evening amid growing protests across Indonesia. The Southeast Asian nation's disaster management agency confirmed three deaths and five injuries but did not specify the cause of the fatalities.

Two of the injured were reported to have jumped from the burning building to escape the flames, according to local reports.

Protests had erupted earlier in the week in Jakarta over lawmakers’ pay and economic inequality. On Friday, the protests intensified after a police armored vehicle struck and killed a ride-hailing motorbike driver, escalating tensions. In response, protesters took to the streets of Jakarta, Bandung, and Yogyakarta, with reports of looting in Jakarta and damage to several transportation facilities.

President Prabowo Subianto, in office since October last year, visited the home of the deceased driver, offering condolences and pledging to oversee the investigation into the incident. Local authorities have already started investigating both the fire in Makassar and the police-related death.

Jakarta's public transportation services were disrupted following the unrest, with the city's mass rapid transit and Transjakarta bus services affected. While protests had subsided by Saturday, the unrest marks a significant challenge to President Prabowo's government, raising concerns about public dissatisfaction and unrest.

Copied