Jakarta – Clashes following Thursday's protest outside the Senayan Legislative Complex in Central Jakarta continued into Friday morning, with unidentified groups reportedly setting fire to vehicles and a police post and disrupting public mobility, including the Commuter Line.
"For the safety and security of Commuter Line passengers, as of 4:50 a.m. local time, trains to and from Tanah Abang were still awaiting safe conditions before departing due to crowds [along] the Palmerah-Tanah Abang tracks," rail service operator KAI Commuter said in a post on X early on Aug. 28.
Thursday's protest drew hundreds of participants, including residents from Pati, Central Java, who called for the swift passage of the asset forfeiture bill and tougher punishment for corruptors. As it continued into the evening, unidentified crowds gathered around the legislative complex, some burning trash while others attempted to force their way inside.
Protesters grouped in the United Pati People's Alliance (AMPB) had left the area earlier, however, after meeting with lawmakers who pledged to pass the long-delayed bill by December.
The unrest intensified after police used water cannon to pushed back crowds, prompting them to spread out toward Pejompongan in Central Jakarta and Slipi in West Jakarta.
The clashes continued into the night, with reports that a Slipi Police subsector post had been set alight, along with two motorcycles parked nearby.
Prior to the fires, a witness identified as Riki told Kompas.com that a group believed to be students had arrived from Karet Kuningan in South Jakarta carrying bamboo poles, wooden sticks and rocks and pelted rocks at police near the post, who then fled.
A group of residents blocked Jl. Pejompongan Raya heading toward Palmerah Station until around 8 a.m. on Friday, when traffic returned to normal.
The Aug. 27 protest came exactly a year after nationwide demonstrations descended into violence that left at least a dozen people dead and led to thousands of arrests. (vny)
Source: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/08/28/post-protest-unrest-disrupts-jakarta-commut