JAKARTA, Indonesia (Monitoring Desk) — Thousands of students clashed with riot police in Jakarta on Monday in a fiery demonstration against generous housing allowances awarded to lawmakers. Protesters were enraged after reports revealed that 580 members of the House of Representatives had been receiving a housing stipend of 50 million rupiah (~$3,075) per month since September 2024 — a figure roughly 20 times what many low-income Indonesians earn monthly.
As students tried pushing toward the Parliament building, police fired rounds of tear gas, turning nearby streets into a misty no-go zone. Protesters retaliated by hurling stones, bottles, and even setting fires under an overpass.
Authorities responded by locking down access to Parliament — including toll roads — and deploying over 1,200 security personnel, leading to severe traffic gridlock across the capital.
Although tensions were high, there were no immediate reports of injuries from the confrontation.
The protesters’ main demand: abolish the housing allowances. Many saw it as unacceptable given harsh economic realities and the perception of endemic corruption among both police and lawmakers.
In contrast, House Speaker Puan Maharani defended the allowance, saying it had been thoroughly reviewed and adjusted in line with soaring living costs in Jakarta.
This clash highlights rising tensions in Indonesia over perceived inequality and government accountability. Amid widespread inflation and economic strain, especially among the youth, such incidents could signal deeper dissatisfaction with the political system.
