Jakarta: Thousands of Indonesians protested outside police headquarters in Jakarta on Friday after a young motorcycle taxi driver was struck and killed by an armored police vehicle during demonstrations in the capital, sparking widespread outrage across the country. 
Affan Kurniawan, a 21-year-old taxi and delivery rider, was run over by the police vehicle on Thursday night when a protest in central Jakarta turned chaotic. 
Amateur videos circulating widely online showed the fatal crash and the armored vehicle leaving the scene. Amid rising public anger on social media, fellow drivers staged a late-night rally to demand justice for the victim. 
Tensions were high as protests continued in different parts of Jakarta on Friday, with people chanting “Killers!” as they gathered outside the headquarters of the Mobile Brigade anti-riot police, the national police, and the Jakarta police. 
Many of the protesters were motorcycle taxi drivers dressed in their signature green jackets, similar to the one Kurniawan was wearing when the incident took place. 
Seven officers who were in the armored vehicle have been named suspects and an investigation is underway, Abdul Karim, head of the professional and security division of the Indonesian police, told a press conference on Friday.
In a recorded video message, President Prabowo Subianto said he was “shocked and disappointed” by the “excessive actions” of the officers. 
“I have ordered a thorough and transparent investigation into last night’s incident, and for all officers involved to take responsibility,” he said. “In this situation, I urge the public to remain calm (and) to put trust in the government that I am leading.” 
Indonesia’s national police chief, Listyo Sigit Prabowo, issued a public apology hours after the incident on Thursday, promising that the police would investigate. 
“I deeply regret the incident and extend my sincerest condolences to the victim, his family, and the entire ride-hailing community,” he said. 
The demonstrations on Friday were the third major protest in Jakarta this week, initially fueled by increasing public anger against lawmakers and the government. Demonstrations have also spread to other Indonesian cities, including Bandung in west Java, and Surakarta in central Java. 
Students, workers, and activists began demonstrating outside Indonesia’s parliament on Monday in protest at the payment of what they say is an exorbitant housing allowance of 50 million rupiah ($3,030) for each lawmaker, almost 10 times the minimum wage in Jakarta.  
Protests continued and spread to various parts of Jakarta on Thursday, with demonstrators also demanding higher wages, lower taxes, and government intervention to stop mass layoffs. 
During the protests police officers in riot gear fired tear-gas canisters and used water cannon to try to disperse the crowds.
“The brutal actions and use of violence by officers who are fully armed and deadly not only violates the principles of democracy and human rights, but confirms that the government and law enforcement officers fail to … create a state that sides with the people,” a coalition of 211 civil society organizations, which include the Jakarta Legal Aid and Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, said in a statement. 
At least 55 people have died due to police violence between July 2024 and June 2025, the coalition said. 
“The government’s silence over the national police’s brutality is the same as giving them a blessing. It’s even worthy of suspecting that violence is the state’s strategy to silence critics. 
“We believe this tragedy demonstrates a dangerous path for democracy. Without change, this country will no longer be a democracy, but rather a tyrannical state in a new guise,” the statement added.