Description: Protests in Indonesia have persisted after last weekend’s escalation prompted leaders from several civil movements to call off their groups. President Prabowo Subianto has pledged to tackle the issues outlined by the majority of protesters, who gathered in larger groups in Jakarta, Makassar and Bandung. After the weekend, police forces have reportedly arrested over 1,200 people while 8 people were declared to have been killed during the riots and the looting of public properties across several major cities in the country. The protests have also caused acute economic instability in the country as the stock market fell for more than 3% in the opening hours. Most of the protests remained violent, with demonstrators continuing to clash with the riot police in Bandung and Ternate where public unrest was high and access to public services was minimized.
Impact: The continuation of the protests after the deadly outturn over the weekend indicates that the demonstrations would continue until the political establishment in Indonesia agrees towards some considerable systemic changes in order to accommodate the demands from the protesters. President Subianto has already tackled the core reason for the initiation of the demonstrations by cutting the parliamentary housing allowances, however, like in any other civil nationwide unrest, demands from the public have increased and the student – led majority groups have expanded their charter. Subianto currently balances between addressing the demands from the protesters and tackling escalation of the public unrest as he is expected to work towards de-escalation of the tensions. The protests would persist over the short – term period, as the political establishment seems keen on addressing the demands outlined by the civil movement. Escalation of violence also remains a possibility, however, the lack of united anti – government front diminishes the potential for substantially undermining Indonesia’s political establishment.