17 hours ago
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February 21, 2025 | 08:14 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The 'Dark Indonesia' protest took a volatile turn as participants hurled firecrackers and Molotov cocktails at police officers stationed near the Horse Statue area. This chaotic escalation occurred following the Civil Society Coalition's delivery of their demands on Friday night, February 21, 2025.
As the situation deteriorated, protesters dispersed rapidly. Police officers pleaded with the crowd to refrain from throwing firecrackers. "Please, the action has been conducted peacefully since earlier, please do not throw firecrackers at the officers. And we also request the police officers to find a safe spot and be patient," the police said, issuing orders to maintain order.
Despite these appeals, the frequency of firecracker explosions increased. By 7:07 PM, protesters began moving water barriers towards the police line and setting tires ablaze.
Police officers continued to urge the protesters to avoid damaging public infrastructure. "We urge you not to be provoked and not to throw any firecrackers and not to damage any traffic equipment, as they belong to the people," the officers reiterated.
By 7:30 PM, the protesters had not dispersed and were still actively burning tires.
Among the 28 demands presented by the Dark Indonesia protest were calls for the establishment of free and scientific education, the reversal of education budget cuts, the evaluation of the free nutritious meal program, and a request for President Prabowo to issue a Government Regulation in Lieu of Law for asset confiscation. They also demanded the streamlining and reshuffling of the Red and White Cabinet.
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