Death intensifies protests against Indonesian MP's allowance raise

(UCAN) The death of a motorcycle taxi driver after being crushed under a police car during ongoing demonstrations in the Indonesian capital Jakarta against an allowance raise for parliamentarians sparked widespread outrage, triggering further protests.

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Affan Kurniawan, 21, died after the police’s Mobile Brigade vehicle ran over him as security forces attempted to disperse protesters on a street in Central Jakarta on Aug. 28 evening.

Video footage showed the vehicle continued to move despite the victim being knocked, prompting protesters to chase and stop the vehicle.

Angry protesters then stormed the Mobile Brigade headquarters in Jakarta, where they set fire to several parked vehicles.

Protests have since erupted in several other cities, and in Jakarta, a massive rally was held on Aug. 29.

On social media, netizens slammed the police using slang terms, and some called for the disbandment of the police.

In a statement, the Civil Society Coalition, a body of 213 organizations, said it was “a state of emergency” and demanded accountability from the president, parliament, and the chief of police.

“The brutal actions and use of violence by armed forces are far more comprehensive and deadly because they not only violate the principles of democracy and human rights, but also confirm that the government and authorities have failed to uphold the mandate of reform, namely to create a state that sides with the people,” it said.