JAKARTA: Thousands rallied across Indonesia Monday as the military was deployed in the capital after six people were killed in nationwide protests sparked by anger over lavish perks for lawmakers.
At least 500 protesters gathered outside the nation’s parliament in Jakarta, watched by soldiers and police throughout the day, before dissipating after President Prabowo Subianto warned protests should end by sundown.
But elsewhere protests were more volatile. In Gorontalo city on Sulawesi island protesters clashed with police, who responded with tear gas and water cannon, an AFP journalist observed. In Bandung on the main island Java, protesters hurled Molotov cocktails and firecrackers at the provincial council building.
Thousands more rallied in Palembang on Sumatra island and hundreds gathered separately in Banjarmasin on Borneo island, Yogyakarta on Java, and Makassar on Sulawesi, according to AFP journalists around the country.
“Our main goal is to reform the parliament,” protester and university student Nafta Keisya Kemalia, 20, told AFP outside parliament before the protest ended.
“Do they want to wait until we have martial law?“
In Geneva on Monday, the United Nations called for investigations into alleged use of disproportionate force in the Indonesian protests.
“We are following closely the spate of violence in Indonesia in the context of nationwide protests over parliamentary allowances, austerity measures, and alleged use of unnecessary or disproportionate force by security forces,” said UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani.
“We stress the importance of dialogue to address the public’s concerns,” she said in a statement.
The deadly protests — the worst unrest since Prabowo took power less than a year ago — began last week over MP housing allowances nearly 10 times the minimum wage in Jakarta, and have forced the president and parliament leaders to make a U-turn on the perks.
Demonstrations began peacefully, but turned violent against the nation’s elite paramilitary police unit after footage showed one of its teams running over 21-year-old delivery driver Affan Kurniawan late Thursday.
Police set up checkpoints across the capital on Monday, while officers and the military conducted city-wide patrols and deployed snipers in key locations. The usually traffic-clogged streets were quieter than usual.
Schools and universities in Jakarta were holding classes online until at least Tuesday, and civil servants based in the city were asked to work from home.
On Monday, Prabowo criticized protesters as he paid a visit to injured police at a hospital.
“The law states that if you want to demonstrate, you must ask for permission, and permission must be granted, and it must end at 6:00 pm,” he said.
Experts said Prabowo’s U-turn in a speech on Sunday and parliament’s gesture to revoke some lawmaker perks may not be enough to dispel the unrest.
“The Indonesian government is a mess. The cabinet and parliament will not listen to the people’s pleas,” 60-year-old snack seller Suwardi, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told AFP near parliament.
“We have always been lied to.”
The Indonesian stock index fell more than three percent at the open on Monday, then recovered slightly, ending the day down 1.2 percent.
On Monday Agus Wijayanto, head of the accountability bureau at the National Police, told reporters an investigation had found criminal acts committed by two officers — the driver of the van and the officer next to him.
They “could be dishonorably discharged,” said Agus.
The crisis has prompted Prabowo to cancel a trip to China this week for a military parade commemorating the end of World War II.
In recent days the finance minister’s house was pillaged and several lawmakers have reportedly had their houses ransacked.
At least three people were killed after a fire Friday started by protesters at a council building in the eastern city of Makassar, while a fourth was killed by a mob in the city in a case of mistaken identity. Another confirmed victim was a student in Yogyakarta, who died in clashes.
In anticipation of further unrest, TikTok on Saturday suspended its live feature for “a few days” in Indonesia, where it has more than 100 million users.
Thousands protest in Indonesia as military deployed in capital
https://arab.news/8vjyt
Thousands protest in Indonesia as military deployed in capital
- At least 500 protesters gathered outside the nation’s parliament in Jakarta, watched by soldiers and police throughout the day
- They dispersed after President Prabowo Subianto warned protests should end by sundown
India rolls out strictest anti-pollution curbs as toxic smog engulfs Delhi
- Private monitors in several parts of northern Delhi recorded AQI spikes between 550 and 700s
- Authorities invoked stage four of the capital region’s emergency pollution-control framework
NEW DELHI: India’s capital choked under a thick blanket of smog on Sunday, with the government imposing anti-pollution curbs after monitoring stations in some areas recorded extremely hazardous air quality.
Home to 30 million people, Delhi has not recorded a single “clean air” day in 2025, with Air Quality Index readings hitting high above the 50 score throughout the year.
On the AQI scale from 0 to 500, good air quality is represented by levels below 50, while levels above 300 are dangerous.
Worsening since late October, official records over the weekend were in the severe to severe-plus range of 400–500, but as 24-hour averages, they did not capture the peaks. Private monitors in several parts of North and North West Delhi recorded AQI spikes above 550 and even into the 700s in real-time.
On Saturday evening, the Ministry of Environment’s Commission for Air Quality Management invoked stage four — the highest level — of the Graded Response Action Plan for Delhi and surrounding areas.
To “prevent further deterioration of air quality in the region,” the commission suspended all non-essential construction, shut stone crushers and mining operations, stopped entry of trucks into the capital region, and ordered schools to shift to hybrid classes or online, where possible.
While authorities blamed the pollution on “adverse meteorological conditions,” residents have been demanding more government action.
“The situation is so bad in Delhi that we don’t have any option but to force kids to do online classes. The government has failed us; it has not done anything to address the issue,” said Nabanita Nayak, who decided for her teenage children to attend school online only, despite concerns over their screen addiction.
“If the kids are too much in front of laptops, that’s also an issue. As a mother, I am worried.”
Delhi’s pollution has been worsening since Diwali in late October, when the average AQI has been above 370, or “very poor.” Since mid-November, it has been over 400, which means “severe” air quality, with certain areas recording 500 and above, which is classified as a “hazardous” level.
“I don’t feel proud living in Delhi. It’s the capital city of the country … We talk about being a developed nation by 2047 — we have deadlines,” said Jagriti Arora, who is keeping her 7-year-old daughter at home to prevent allergy flare-ups caused by air pollution.
“The government has to do something … China had a big problem with pollution, but now they’ve managed to bring it down.”
Delhi’s air quality deteriorates in winter due to local emissions and seasonal weather conditions. Cold temperatures and low wind speeds result in a temperature inversion, which traps pollutants close to the ground instead of letting them disperse. This allows emissions from millions of vehicles, ongoing construction, and nearby industrial activity to accumulate in the air. Urban waste burning and dust from construction sites further add to it.
“This is not a new thing. This has been happening now for over 10 years,” Arora said. “You can see it. You don’t need to actually look at an AQI meter to see how bad the pollution is these days.”
