Protests over the death of a motorcycle taxi driver escalated in Makassar on Friday night, with protesters hurling rocks and Molotov cocktails.
Indonesia: Blaze kills 3 amid protests over driver death.
Protests over the death of a motorcycle taxi driver escalated in Makassar on Friday night, with protesters hurling rocks and Molotov cocktails.
Protesters carrying Indonesian flags walk by as the local parliament building is engulfed in flames on Aug 29, 2025.
Three people died when a local parliament building was engulfed in flames in Makassar, Indonesia
At least three people were killed when a council building in the city of Makassar, Indonesia, was set on fire by protesters angry at the death of a motorcycle taxi driver who was run over by a police vehicle on Thursday.
In Makassar, the biggest city on Indonesia’s central Sulawesi island, furious demonstrators torched vehicles and hurled rocks and Molotov cocktails, setting a local council building ablaze.
What do we know about the deadly fire?
Three people – one civil servant and two council staff members – perished after being trapped in the burning building while at least four others were injured.
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“Usually during a demonstration, protesters only threw rocks or burn a tire in front of the office. They’ve never stormed into the building or burned it.”
In footage posted by local media, hundreds of people were seen clapping and cheering as the building was engulfed in flames with few security forces in sight.
“There are people upstairs!” one man could be heard shouting.
Meanwhile, in the capital Jakarta, hundreds of people gathered outside the headquarters of the Mobile Brigade Corp (Brimob), the notorious paramilitary police unit blamed for the death of motorcycle taxi driver Affan Kuniawan on Thursday.
In chaotic scenes, one group of protesters pulled a sign from the building’s facade and attempted to break down the gate. Local media reported isolated looting and damage to several transportation facilities in the city.
Earlier in the week, the elite police brigade, which is known for its heavy-handed tactics, had deployed tear gas to disperse demonstrators who had been protesting against low wages and perceived lavish perks for lawmakers, culminating in Kuniawan’s death.
Police said they had detained seven officers for questioning in connection with the fatality.
At least three people were killed when a council building in the city of Makassar, Indonesia, was set on fire by protesters angry at the death of a motorcycle taxi driver who was run over by a police vehicle on Thursday.
In Makassar, the biggest city on Indonesia’s central Sulawesi island, furious demonstrators torched vehicles and hurled rocks and Molotov cocktails, setting a local council building ablaze.
Protests over the death of a motorcycle taxi driver escalated in Makassar on Friday night, with protesters hurling rocks and Molotov cocktails.
Protesters carrying Indonesian flags walk by as the local parliament building is engulfed in flames on Aug 29, 2025.
Three people died when a local parliament building was engulfed in flames in Makassar, Indonesia
At least three people were killed when a council building in the city of Makassar, Indonesia, was set on fire by protesters angry at the death of a motorcycle taxi driver who was run over by a police vehicle on Thursday.
In Makassar, the biggest city on Indonesia’s central Sulawesi island, furious demonstrators torched vehicles and hurled rocks and Molotov cocktails, setting a local council building ablaze.
What do we know about the deadly fire?
Three people – one civil servant and two council staff members – perished after being trapped in the burning building while at least four others were injured.
“Usually during a demonstration, protesters only threw rocks or burn a tire in front of the office. They’ve never stormed into the building or burned it.”
In footage posted by local media, hundreds of people were seen clapping and cheering as the building was engulfed in flames with few security forces in sight.
