Indonesia Protests Spread After Police Vehicle Kills Delivery Rider Affan Kurniawan

A Delivery Rider's Death Deepens Anger Over Lawmakers' Perks

Seven police officers have been detained and questioned after a police armored vehicle killed Affan Kurniawan, a motorcycle taxi and delivery driver aged 21, during demonstrations near Indonesia's parliament in Jakarta. His death on Thursday evening, captured on video and widely shared on social media, turned protests over lawmakers' housing allowances into a wider demand for justice and police reform.

By August 30, 2025, demonstrations had spread across Indonesia, from Jakarta, Surabaya and Bandung to Makassar, Yogyakarta, Medan, Manado and Papua. Some gatherings became violent. At least three people died when protesters set fire to a council building in Makassar, while clashes, arrests and disruption intensified elsewhere.

President Prabowo Subianto has promised a thorough and transparent investigation into Kurniawan's death. National Police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo has apologized. Those assurances have yet to satisfy protesters demanding action against the officers responsible, an end to excessive force and the repeal of parliamentary perks.

The unrest has become one of the most serious challenges facing Prabowo's administration. Students, labor groups, motorcycle drivers, rights activists and other citizens have brought together grievances over living costs, unemployment, stagnant wages, high taxes and perceived government corruption.

Why a Housing Allowance Started the Protests

The initial anger centered on a monthly housing allowance of 50 million rupiah, about $3,075, granted to each of Indonesia's 580 members of parliament. That allowance alone was nearly ten times Jakarta's minimum wage, a comparison that helped explain the strength of the public reaction.

Many Indonesians were already struggling with rising living costs and a shortage of jobs. Critics described the payment as excessive and insensitive, especially as social media videos showed politicians displaying lavish lifestyles. For demonstrators, the allowance became a concrete example of the distance between political leaders and people trying to meet everyday expenses.

Students and labor groups began protesting earlier in the week, calling for the allowance to be withdrawn and for broader reforms. Their demands included higher wages, lower taxes and stronger measures against corruption. Ride hailing drivers, rights activists and ordinary residents subsequently joined the movement.

The protests therefore began with a specific parliamentary benefit, but drew strength from several connected frustrations. Removing the allowance was one demand; improving jobs, incomes and the conduct of public officials was another.

What Happened to Affan Kurniawan?

Kurniawan worked as a motorcycle driver for Gojek and Grab. Witnesses said he was completing a food delivery order near the parliament building on Thursday evening when he was caught in the disorder. They said he was not taking part in the protests.

According to eyewitnesses, an armored vehicle belonging to the National Police's Mobile Brigade unit sped through a crowd of demonstrators, struck Kurniawan and ran over him without stopping. Video of the incident spread rapidly online, bringing his death to a much wider public and intensifying demands for police accountability.

Thousands of motorcycle drivers, activists and politicians attended his funeral. A large convoy escorted his body through central Jakarta, turning the farewell into a public expression of grief and solidarity. His death gave fellow drivers a direct reason to join a movement that had begun over parliamentary spending.

The main stages of the unrest unfolded as follows:

• Earlier in the week, students and labor groups began demonstrations over lawmakers' housing allowances and broader economic grievances.
• On Thursday evening, a police armored vehicle struck and killed Kurniawan near parliament in Jakarta.
• After footage circulated, protests intensified and spread, while thousands attended his funeral.
• By August 30, the government had promised an investigation, seven officers had been detained and questioned, and demands for reform continued.

Demonstrations Spread Across the Country

Jakarta became a center of confrontation after Kurniawan's death. Demonstrators marched toward the headquarters of the police Mobile Brigade, with some attempting to storm the compound. Police used water cannons and rounds of tear gas, while protesters threw bottles, rocks and flares.

Other cities saw demonstrations and clashes as anger moved beyond the capital. Protests reached Surabaya, Bandung, Makassar, Yogyakarta, Medan and Manado, as well as Papua. In some places, protesters set fire to buildings, vehicles and government offices.

Students and motorcycle taxi drivers remained at the forefront despite heavy rain and aggressive police tactics. Crowds used patriotic songs, banners and social media to communicate their demands for justice and reform. The military was deployed in several areas to restore order.

The movement brought together people with different immediate concerns. Students and labor groups had mobilized around parliamentary benefits and economic conditions, while fellow drivers demanded accountability for the death of a colleague. Rights activists also pressed for stronger protection of civil liberties.

Deaths in Makassar and Injuries in the Clashes

In Makassar, South Sulawesi, protesters set fire to a council building and trapped several people inside. At least three people were killed, including two council staff members and a civil servant. Their deaths added another tragedy to unrest already inflamed by Kurniawan's killing.

Protesters also torched a regional parliament building in Bandung. No casualties were reported there. Fires at public buildings and attacks on vehicles increased the danger for people working or traveling near protest sites.

Dozens of people were injured in clashes with police. Authorities reported that 25 police officers were hospitalized with serious injuries, while the number of injured protesters was believed to be higher. Police sources put arrests in Jakarta alone at nearly a thousand.

Jakarta Legal Aid, a prominent rights group, urged the government to release hundreds of people arrested during the demonstrations. The organization expressed its position in these words:

No one should lose their life for protesting.

Amnesty International and other rights groups condemned the government's crackdown on demonstrators, calling for an end to excessive force and arbitrary arrests. Their concerns placed the treatment of protesters alongside the investigation into Kurniawan's death.

Prabowo Promises an Investigation

President Prabowo addressed the country in a televised speech, expressing condolences to Kurniawan's family and calling for calm. The former general acknowledged public anger and disappointment over excessive police actions and promised a thorough and transparent investigation.

Prabowo said officers involved in the incident must face accountability:

I am deeply concerned and deeply saddened by this incident. I was shocked and disappointed by the officers' excessive actions. I have ordered a thorough and transparent investigation, and officers involved must be held accountable.

National Police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo issued a public apology and confirmed that seven members of the police motor brigade linked to Kurniawan's death had been detained and questioned over breaches of professional ethics. Authorities also pledged financial support for his family.

The driver of the armored vehicle had not been identified as of August 30. No timetable was given for completing the investigation. Protesters continued to demand concrete action despite the apologies and promises.

Drivers and Rights Groups Demand Police Reform

Kurniawan's death has become a focus for wider complaints about police brutality and a lack of accountability. The Mobile Brigade Corps, known as Brimob, is an elite paramilitary police unit that has long faced criticism over its harsh tactics.

Demonstrators are calling for independent investigations into deaths in custody, better oversight of law enforcement and stronger protection of civil liberties. Those demands reach beyond the conduct of the officers inside the armored vehicle to the way police actions are investigated and supervised.

Pendi Nasir, a motorcycle driver who joined the protests, described the concern among fellow drivers and their demand for action:

We don't want our colleagues here to become victims of this riot again. We want action against those at fault.

Students, gig workers, labor unions and rights activists have rallied around justice and dignity for ordinary Indonesians. Their demands combine police reform with the withdrawal of the housing allowance, higher wages, lower taxes and stronger action against corruption.

Daily Life and Financial Markets Are Disrupted

Shops and malls near protest sites in Jakarta closed early because of safety concerns. Schools dismissed students early, and many businesses told employees to work from home. Crowds brought traffic to a standstill and blocked public transportation routes, making routine journeys more difficult.

The unrest also unsettled investors in Southeast Asia's largest economy. The Indonesian rupiah fell nearly 1% against the US dollar, while the stock index dropped as much as 2.3% before recovering slightly. The movements reflected a loss of confidence as demonstrations and violence spread.

Residents and businesses faced disruption alongside the political confrontation. Closures reduced access to shops and workplaces, while blocked roads and transport routes complicated movement through major cities. For a movement with motorcycle drivers at its center, the streets were both a workplace and a place of protest.

Memories of 1998 Add to Fears of Escalation

Many Jakarta residents recalled the traumatic riots of May 1998, which preceded the fall of President Suharto after three decades of authoritarian rule. More than a thousand people were killed during that violence, and destruction was widespread.

Economic hardship, anger over corruption and police violence fueled public resentment then, as they have during the latest unrest. Those shared grievances have drawn comparisons between the two periods and heightened fears as buildings burn and security forces confront crowds.

Made Supriatma, a visiting fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, warned about the risk of further disorder under Prabowo:

If Prabowo isn't careful, protests may devolve into chaos.

The memories of 1998 help explain why early shop closures, street violence and military deployments have caused such concern. Alongside demands for justice, residents face the immediate worry that confrontations could bring more deaths, injuries and destruction.

A Test of Public Trust and Government Accountability

Prabowo campaigned on promises of economic growth and social stability. He now faces pressure to restore public trust while responding to anger over parliamentary privileges and police conduct. His administration's handling of the unrest has become a test of its commitment to transparency, accountability and the rule of law.

The demands cover both immediate decisions and broader changes: action over Kurniawan's death, withdrawal of the housing allowance, and reforms addressing police impunity, economic inequality and political corruption. Failure to address those grievances could deepen public anger and lead to further unrest.

Indonesia's response is being watched domestically and internationally because the country is often viewed as a bellwether for democratic progress in Southeast Asia. For the people taking part in demonstrations, however, the issues are concrete: earning enough to live, being treated fairly by public officials and obtaining justice when police actions cost a life.

Key Points

• Affan Kurniawan, a delivery and motorcycle taxi driver aged 21, was killed by a police armored vehicle near parliament in Jakarta on Thursday evening.
• Protests began over monthly housing allowances of 50 million rupiah for each of Indonesia's 580 lawmakers, nearly ten times Jakarta's minimum wage.
• Demonstrations spread across the country, with at least three people killed in a council building fire in Makassar.
• Police sources reported nearly a thousand arrests in Jakarta, while authorities said 25 police officers were hospitalized with serious injuries.
• Prabowo promised a thorough and transparent investigation. Seven officers were detained and questioned over professional ethics breaches.
• Protesters want accountability for Kurniawan's death, police reform, the repeal of parliamentary perks and action on wages, taxes and corruption.