On Wednesday, nearly 400 protesters were detained by Indonesian police. On the second day, some armed men with molotov cocktails and sharp weapons, due to heated demonstrations over the controversial new job law in Southeast Asia’s largest economy.
Demonstrations took place in at least 12 places, with police detaining 183 people outside parliament in Palembang in South Sumatra and holding more than 200 protesters for questioning in the capital Jakarta, a day after tear gas and water cannon were used to disperse crowds in multiple cities.
The protesters are demanding the government revokes an “omnibus” jobs creation law that has outraged unions, because it lopsidedly favors businesses and will hurt workers and the environment.
Footage from the Javanese city of Semarang showed angry protesters tearing down the fence of the local parliament complex, while in Jakarta and Bandung, students threw stones and burned tires.
The sweeping legislation has been championed by President Joko Widodo as key to boosting an economy hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic by cutting red tape and attracting foreign investment.
But academics from prominent universities expressed disappointment on Wednesday over a law they said was problematic and would likely lead to a judicial review.