At least three people have died and several others injured in Makassar, Indonesia, after protesters set fire to a city council building during violent demonstrations sparked by the death of a motorcycle taxi driver allegedly struck by a police vehicle.
The unrest, which broke out across multiple Indonesian cities on Friday, represents the most serious public challenge yet to President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, coming less than a year into his presidency.
The protests initially began as rallies over low wages and perceived lavish perks for lawmakers, reflecting wider dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the economy.
Tensions escalated sharply after footage went viral showing Affan Kuniawan, a motorcycle gig driver, being run over by a police tactical vehicle during one of the earlier demonstrations.
The video provoked nationwide outrage, particularly against the Mobile Brigade Corps (Brimob), a paramilitary police unit notorious for its heavy-handed tactics.
In Makassar, the largest city on Sulawesi island, protests descended into chaos late Friday. Demonstrators stormed both the provincial and city council buildings, setting them ablaze.
Vehicles were torched, rocks and Molotov cocktails were hurled, and security forces struggled to contain the violence.
Rahmat Mappatoba, secretary of the Makassar city council, confirmed that three people died in the fire, two of whom were council staff, while the third was a civil servant.
“They were trapped in the burning building,” Mappatoba told AFP, accusing demonstrators of storming and deliberately setting the office on fire.
“This is beyond our prediction usually during a demonstration protesters only threw rocks or burned tyres outside the office. They never stormed into the building or set it ablaze.”
Two victims died at the scene, while the third succumbed to injuries in hospital. At least four others were injured in the blaze.
Dramatic footage shared on local media showed hundreds of people cheering as the building went up in flames, with little visible police presence. One man was heard shouting, “There are people upstairs!” as flames engulfed the structure.
Images later verified by AFP showed smouldering debris falling from the roof, charred vehicles still flickering with fire, and the South Sulawesi provincial council building also ablaze.
In Jakarta, hundreds of protesters massed outside Brimob headquarters, blaming the unit for Kuniawan’s death Demonstrators threw firecrackers, tore down a gate, and pulled down a sign from the building’s façade.
Police responded with tear gas, and later confirmed that seven officers had been detained for questioning over the incident that killed the driver.
The protests mark the most violent unrest since Prabowo Subianto assumed the presidency in late 2024.
Facing his first major crisis, he quickly ordered an investigation, called for calm, and personally visited Kuniawan’s family.
“I have ordered last night’s incident to be thoroughly and transparently investigated, and that the officers involved be held accountable,” Prabowo said in a statement.
On Instagram, he later posted photos of his meeting with the bereaved family, pledging government support and vowing to “guarantee their livelihood.”
The president, who campaigned on promises of state-driven growth and a billion-dollar free meal programme, has already faced criticism for slashing government budgets to fund his populist agenda.
The unrest suggests public frustration is intensifying, particularly among low-income workers struggling with rising costs.
Beyond Jakarta and Makassar, demonstrations erupted in other major Indonesian cities, including Yogyakarta, Bandung, Semarang, and Surabaya on Java island, and Medan in North Sumatra province.
While the full extent of the damage is still being assessed, the scale of Friday’s protests underscores a growing national movement combining economic grievances with anger over police brutality.
For President Prabowo, the crisis poses a dual challenge: addressing the longstanding issue of heavy-handed policing while also tackling deepening economic inequality that fuels resentment.
Analysts warn that unless the government provides meaningful reforms, Friday’s tragedy could mark the beginning of a broader wave of instability.
As of Saturday, the fire in Makassar had been extinguished, but tensions remain high nationwide, with civil rights groups demanding justice for Kuniawan and accountability for the officers involved.