Protests Intensified In Jakarta After 21-Year-Old Motorbike Taxi Driver Killed By Police
The 21-year-old motorbike taxi driver, Affan Kurniawan, was run over by a heavily armored police vehicle during the protests in Jakarta and died shortly after in the hospital. Footage showed the police vehicle running over him despite being surrounded by the protesters who tried to stop the vehicle. The death of the young protester escalated the ongoing protests in Indonesia.
The coffin of Affan Kurniawan in his modest home in Jakarta showed solidarity with a ‘Free Palestine’ mural.
#BREAKING #Indonesia JUST IN: Anti-government protests erupted in Jakarta this week, as students and workers demanded higher wages, lower taxes, and fairer economic conditions.
The demonstrations turned violent after security forces used rubber bullets and batons. pic.twitter.com/yaFC2WkQYY
— The National Independent (@NationalIndNews) August 28, 2025
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Notably, anti-government protests erupted in Jakarta this week, as students and workers demanding higher wages, lower taxes, and fairer economic conditions. The demonstrations turned violent after security forces used rubber bullets and batons.
T protests were triggered by economic grievances and perceived corruption, with a specific focus on the exorbitant housing allowances for Members of Parliament (MPs), which are almost 10 times the minimum wage in Jakarta, and broader issues of graft and military involvement in civilian life under President Prabowo Subianto’s administration.
The unrest is part of a series of demonstrations that began in February 2025, intensified in March over military law revisions, and resurfaced in August due to reported proposed tax hikes, reflecting ongoing public dissatisfaction with economic policies and governance.
