Widespread protests across Indonesia have escalated into deadly violence, prompting president Prabowo Subianto to cancel a high-profile trip to China and revoke lucrative perks for lawmakers in an attempt to quell the unrest.

The demonstrations, which began in the capital, Jakarta, on august 25, have since spread to numerous cities, including Medan, Yogyakarta, and Makassar. Initially sparked by public fury over substantial pay and housing allowances for parliament members, the protests intensified dramatically after a police vehicle struck and killed a motorcycle rider, fueling public anger.

The situation has turned violent in multiple provinces. Rioters have set fire to regional parliament buildings in South Sulawesi, West Nusa Tenggara, Pekalongan, and Cirebon. Authorities have reported at least five deaths and numerous injuries during clashes between demonstrators and riot police. In one of the most inflammatory incidents, a ride-hailing driver was killed by a police vehicle in Makassar, South Sulawesi. The unrest has also seen angry mobs loot the homes of high-profile officials, including finance minister Sri Mulyani and parliament member Nafa Urbach.

In response to the escalating crisis, president Prabowo announced on august 31 that he would scrap several perks and privileges for members of parliament. While making this concession, he condemned the violence, stating some acts were "bordering on terrorism and treason," and directed the military and police to take decisive action against rioters within legal limits. The president also canceled his planned trip to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit to manage the domestic crisis.

The protests have had a significant technological and economic fallout. Citing the need to curb the spread of disinformation, the social media platform TikTok, which has over 100 million users in the country, temporarily suspended its live video feature. The Indonesian government also summoned representatives from Meta and other social media companies, demanding stronger content moderation.

Indonesia's financial markets have been hit by the instability. The Jakarta stock market fell by 1.5%, and the rupiah weakened, dropping 0.8% against the US dollar. The destruction of public infrastructure, including toll gates and bus stops in Jakarta, has caused significant disruptions as the nation grapples with one of its most serious bouts of civil unrest in years.