Hanaa Septiana, Jakarta – The Grahadi State Building, or the official residence complex of the Governor of East Java on Jalan Raya Gubernur Suryo, Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, was set on fire by a mob on Saturday, August 30, 2025. Soaring flames were visible on the west side of the building.
Tempo observed that the west side of Grahadi was set on fire at around 9:30 PM WIB (Western Indonesian Time). The incident occurred after East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa met with the crowd an hour earlier.
One of the rooms on the west side of Grahadi was the press room. Not only was the room burned, but several computers inside were also taken and destroyed by a group of people.
Meanwhile, according to an Antara report, some of the mob was seen looting and carrying away several items from the burning west side of the Grahadi State Building. At 10:25 PM WIB, several people dressed in black were seen walking toward Jalan Basuki Rahmat carrying carpets, tables, and cardboard boxes with pictures of printers.
In addition, some people were carrying cardboard boxes containing files, mattresses, office chairs, a laptop, and even a mobile fire extinguisher (APAR).
As they passed through the crowd, these people were shouted at by residents along Jalan Gubernur Suryo and Jalan Basuki Rahmat, chanting "Cair, cair cak."
The Grahadi State Building caught fire on Saturday, August 30, 2025, at 9:50 PM WIB, as a result of thousands of people demonstrating in front of the building on Jalan Gubernur Suryo, Surabaya City, East Java.
The arson incident occurred after Khofifah met with demonstrators in front of the building. The rooms that caught fire included the office of the Deputy Governor of East Java, the household bureau, the general bureau, and the working group (pokja) press room.
Before the fire broke out in the building, several firecrackers were heard from the crowd moving into the building.
As of 11:02 PM WIB, crowds were still filling the streets in front of the Grahadi State Building in Surabaya. They were even still setting off fireworks aimed at the building. At precisely 11:06 PM WIB, the crowd dispersed as several trucks and police cars approached from Jalan Tunjungan.