Indramayu, West Java. Police in Indramayu have arrested 58 people, including 25 middle and high school students, and confiscated Molotov cocktails and sharp weapons from them amid ongoing nationwide unrest.

Indramayu Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Mochamad Fajar Gemilang said Monday evening that the detainees allegedly planned to infiltrate rallies and incite violence targeting security officers.

“Most of them are Indramayu residents, but five came from Cirebon,” Fajar said at a press conference. “They carried items suspected of being used to attack officers and damage public facilities.”

He added that the group had coordinated via WhatsApp, intending to blend into demonstrations. “We acknowledge their democratic rights to protest, but it must be done responsibly, not in violation of the law or in ways that harm others,” Fajar added.

The arrests come as protests continue across Indonesia over parliamentary perks, particularly the Rp 50 million ($3,000) monthly housing allowance for lawmakers, which critics say highlights deep inequality. The unrest escalated after a motorcycle taxi driver was fatally struck by a police armored vehicle in Jakarta on August 28.

In the following days, rioters raided and looted the homes of four lawmakers and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati. Despite government pledges to review allowances and crack down on rioters, sporadic demonstrations persist in several cities.

On Sunday, police in East Kalimantan caught 22 students from Mulawarman University allegedly preparing dozens of Molotov cocktails for use in a protest. Authorities discovered 27 devices on university grounds in Samarinda and have named four students as suspects.

For many Indonesians, the controversy over parliamentary benefits reflects broader inequality. The Rp 50 million housing allowance is nearly ten times the average basic monthly salary in Jakarta, fueling perceptions of privilege and detachment among political elites.

The government has responded by deploying joint police-military patrols while also pledging to review lawmakers’ allowances.

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