Protests Erupt Across Indonesia: An Interview with Legal Justice Researcher Iftitah Sari

• Large-scale, organic protests have broken out across Indonesia since late August 2025.
• The movement was initially triggered by economic hardship, rising unemployment, and corruption, specifically over luxury housing subsidies for legislators.
• Tensions escalated significantly after police killed a delivery driver, Affan Kurniawan, during a protest on August 28, redirecting public anger from the legislature toward the police force.

Drivers of the Unrest

• Demonstrations are nationwide, extending beyond Jakarta to smaller cities like Pati, where protests originally began over rising local taxes.
• The movement is largely driven by the younger generation and civil society influencers who are disillusioned with the political status quo.
• A coalition known as the "New Generation" has compiled a list of "17+8" demands, focusing on structural political change rather than specific legislation.
• Key grievances include nepotism in government and police appointments, lack of meritocracy, and the insensitive rhetoric used by celebrity-politicians against the public.

Government Response and Future Outlook

• President Prabowo has characterized arson during protests as acts of "treason" and "terrorism," ignoring the core political grievances of the demonstrators.
• Concerns persist that government rhetoric and policies—such as promoting officers involved in crackdowns—are incentivizing police brutality and framing citizens as enemies.
• Activists view this as a long-term political marathon. There is significant concern that the government may declare martial law, further restricting civic space if no political commitment to reform is made.