Indonesia: Protesters Torch Parliament Building, Leave 3 Dead, 5 Severely Injured

World News: An angry mob set fire to the regional parliament building in Makassar, South Sulawesi, late Friday. Inside, at least three people died—trapped by the flames. Five others were hospitalised after jumping from windows to escape the massive blaze. 

The unrest didn’t stop there. In Bandung, West Java, another parliament building was set ablaze. No casualties were reported, but the symbolism was unmistakable: the people are done pleading. In Surabaya, protesters stormed the regional police headquarters, smashed fences, and torched vehicles.

This wave of fury follows five consecutive days of protests across Indonesia, sparked by revelations that every lawmaker in Jakarta receives a $3,000 monthly housing allowance—nearly ten times the city’s minimum wage. The scandal struck a nerve in a country where millions struggle with rising costs and stagnant wages.

Reportedly, it was the death of 21-year-old Affan Kurniawan, a bike taxi driver, that turned outrage into revolt. Affan was run over by a police armoured vehicle during clashes in Jakarta. His death, captured on video and shared widely, became a rallying cry for justice.

Now, the protests have gone national growing like a wildfire. From Medan in the west to Papua in the east, thousands have taken to the streets. Nearly 1,000 people have been arrested in Jakarta alone. International peace bodies have condemned the outrage, calling for peaceful protest rather than violence.

Indonesia’s parliament thought the scandal was about money. But the nation wide protests tell a different story. 

President Prabowo Subianto, less than a year into his term, is now confronting the biggest test of his leadership. With buildings ablaze and public trust in freefall, the government faces a crisis it can’t water-cannon away. 

The question is no longer whether reforms will come—but whether they’ll come fast enough to stop the fire from spreading further.