Article from Italian periodical ‘Disfare‘ about the repression in Indonesia, written by Palang Hitam.
Repression and Resistance in Indonesia
In August to September 2025, widespread riots took place in Indonesia across various cities on the Archipelago. It was the largest modern social uprising in the country and it was arguably triggered by the killing of Affan Kurniawan, an online motorcycle courier, who was emblematic of many of the protestors: Marginalized, precarious workers, street people, working and underclasses. Affan was murdered by Brimob mobile brigade police in an armored vehicle, the cops ran him over in front of the crowd in Jakarta. The death happened in the context of an ongoing protest against government corruption, the rising cost of living and police brutality. The killing ignited even greater mass protests, which lead to violent clashes with police and paramilitary law enforcement. Lawmakers and politicians openly mocked the demonstrators, who were only calling attention to immediate social issues that concerned everyone, and pointed to the growing reactionary power of the ex-military regime. Since the riots, the repression has grown even harder.
Starting on August 30, 2025, hundreds of thousands took to the streets in cities including Bandung and Jakarta, demanding not only accountability and justice for Affan, but an end to the entire corrupt political-military-capitalist racket. Anarchist methods and street tactics became widespread, as did anarchist slogans and targets. The government factions, political parties, unions and students associations completely lost control of the narrative. They couldn’t control the anger on the streets and the moment of the revolt was sparked. Many government buildings, corporations, police stations and senior politicians residences were looted and/or burned down. Continue reading “Chaos Star – Article from Italian periodical ‘Disfare’ about the repression in Indonesia”