Riot police clash with students protesting lawmakers’ allowances in Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Riot police shot multiple rounds of tear gas at thousands of stone-throwing students who attempted to reach Parliament in Indonesia ‘s capital to protest the lavish allowances of parliament members.

The demonstrators are enraged by recent reports that 580 members of the House of Representatives had been receiving a housing allowance of 50 million rupiah ($3,075) per month since September 2024. They view the allowances as unjust due to the economic hardship faced by most citizens.

Police fired tear gas as the protesters tried to approach Parliament. Protesters fought back, hurling rocks and bottles at riot police and setting fires under a flyover near the heavily guarded Parliament compound.

Authorities blocked streets leading to the Parliament building, including several toll roads, causing severe traffic jams in the city. More than 1,200 security personnel were deployed to secure the compound.

There were no immediate reports of injuries from Monday’s clash.

The demonstrators are demanding the abolition of what they view as lavish allowances, which come on top of lawmakers’ salaries. The housing benefit alone amounts to about 20 times the monthly minimum wage in poor areas.

House Speaker Puan Maharani told reporters on Saturday that the amount had been thoroughly considered and adjusted to current prices in Jakarta.

Corruption is endemic in Indonesia and activists say police and members of Parliament are perceived as being widely corrupt in the country of more than 280 million people.