Jihan Ristiyanti, Jakarta – Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Puan Maharani offered little explanation when asked why she and other lawmakers did not meet with demonstrators outside the Parliament complex, a decision widely blamed for sparking riots.
"We are evaluating this together," Puan said briefly after visiting the home of the late ride-hailing driver Affan Kurniawan on Saturday, August 30, 2025.
Large demonstrations erupted in front of the Parliament building on August 25, 28, and 29, 2025. The protests were initially triggered by opposition to a proposed monthly housing allowance of Rp 50 million for lawmakers.
During those days, no members of Parliament came out to engage with the crowd. Instead, many lawmakers chose to respond through their social media accounts and the official Parliament channels.
On August 28, demonstrators continued to gather outside the building into the evening. Police later moved to disperse them, pushing the crowd toward Jalan Gerbang Pemuda and Penjernihan I. Clashes broke out, with officers firing tear gas and protesters hurling stones and bottles in response.
At 07:25 PM WIB (Western Indonesia Time), tensions escalated when a police armored vehicle plowed through the crowd on Jalan Penjernihan I, near Rumah Susun Bendungan Hilir II in Central Jakarta, fatally striking 21-year-old online driver Affan Kurniawan. His death further inflamed anger among demonstrators.
The crowd subsequently marched to the Jakarta Regional Police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) Command Headquarters in Kwitang, demanding accountability from the personnel inside the armored vehicle. Protests there continued until the early hours of Saturday.
Parliament's refusal to meet the protesters, which contributed to the chaos and the death of one demonstrator, has drawn sharp criticism.
Legislator Adian Napitupulu, who attended Affan's funeral, defended the absence of lawmakers, saying no formal request had been filed with the Parliament's Aspiration Body. "There was no request letter about who to meet or what to discuss on the first day," he said.
Regarding the August 28 protest, Adian explained he was in Medan at the time. When pressed on why his colleagues failed to take the initiative to meet the demonstrators, he declined to comment.
"I don't want to judge that far. How the factions worked is not within my capacity to assess," he said.