Indonesians march on parliament to demand crackdown on corruption

By AFP and Reuters. Published On 28 Aug 202628 Aug 2026.

Key points

• Jakarta police deployed 18, 500 officers and detained 65 individuals before the march, on suspicion of being "provocateurs", spokesperson Budi Hermanto stated.
• Protesters are demanding that parliament pass a bill, first brought before it in 2008, that would allow the state to seize assets tied to corruption.
• Chief Security Minister Djamari Chaniago remarked the deployment was not aimed at curbing their right to free expression.
• Thousands of Indonesians have marched on the parliament in Jakarta to demand harsher punishment for corrupt authorities.
• We chose August 27 to commemorate since last year there were riots and various other incidents.

For context, the protests on Thursday fell a year to the day since antigovernment rallies turned into riots in which regarding 10 residents were killed and almost 7, 000 arrested.

Riot police held the crowd behind the locked gates of the legislature for much of the day.

For context, the AFP news agency documented that after nightfall, some protesters threw objects at officers. This person answered with tear gas and a water cannon. A police post and motorcycle were set alight and a number of residents were carried off on stretchers, it continued. Students additionally marched in the cities of Yogyakarta and Makassar.

Protesters are demanding that parliament pass a bill, first brought before it in 2008, that would allow the state to seize assets tied to corruption. Some at the rally pressed corrupt office-holders to face the death penalty.

Some lawmakers met with representatives of the protest group United Pati Community Alliance outside of parliament and promised to resign if the bill is not passed by December 15, according to its leader, Sopriyano.

Some 200 students from a number of universities were present at the protest, urging the administration to scrap a free school meal programme marred by corruption claims and repeated food poisoning incidents.

They additionally called on an end to the "militarisation" of Indonesian society and lower food rates.

"We chose August 27 to commemorate since last year there were riots and various other incidents. And today we want to convey our aspirations, not cause riots, " a representative for the students informed Reuters.

"We will escort them so that their aspirations can be conveyed properly, " he remarked.

In short, indonesians march on parliament to demand crackdown on corruption is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.