Jakarta descended into chaos as thousands of students clashed with riot police outside Indonesia’s Parliament, protesting exorbitant housing allowances granted to lawmakers.

The demonstrators, furious over reports that 580 members of the House of Representatives have been receiving 50 million rupiah ($3,075) monthly housing stipends since September 2024, view these perks as a slap in the face amid widespread economic hardship. The allowances, roughly 20 times the minimum wage in Indonesia’s poorer regions, have fueled public outrage in a nation where corruption is deeply entrenched.

The protests turned violent as students, some waving flags from the Japanese manga series One Piece—a symbol of resistance—hurled rocks, bottles, and fireworks at police. At least one motorcycle was set ablaze, and fires burned under a flyover near the heavily fortified Parliament compound.

Riot police responded with tear gas and water cannons to prevent the crowd from breaching the building, while over 1,200 security personnel were deployed, blocking streets and toll roads, causing massive traffic disruptions across the capital.

Organized by groups like Gejayan Memanggil from Yogyakarta, the protesters demanded the abolition of the lavish allowances and condemned “corrupt elites” and policies favoring conglomerates and the military under President Prabowo Subianto. House Speaker Puan Maharani defended the allowances, claiming they were adjusted to Jakarta’s living costs, but this did little to quell public anger.

With no immediate reports of injuries, the clash highlights Indonesia’s deep-seated frustration with perceived parliamentary excess and systemic corruption in a nation of over 280 million.

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