Jakarta. Jakarta authorities said public activities in the capital and surrounding areas were returning to normal on Friday, a day after a demonstration outside the national parliament complex escalated into clashes, vandalism and arson.

Jakarta Metropolitan Police spokesman Budi Hermanto said police remained on alert to maintain public order while ensuring that daily activities could continue safely.

“The most important thing now is to maintain a calm atmosphere so that people can carry out their activities properly,” Budi said in Jakarta, according to Antara news agency.

He said police were continuing to monitor and support activities ranging from office work and education to commerce and public transportation.

“Jakarta is a shared space. Aspirations must have a place, public activities must continue, and everyone’s safety must be protected,” Budi said, urging residents to respect one another and prioritize the public interest.

The statement came after Thursday’s demonstration near the House of Representatives complex turned violent after the initial protest had ended.

Protesters, including members of the Pati United Community Alliance (AMPB), had gathered to demand passage of the long-delayed Asset Forfeiture Bill, raise concerns about alleged corruption in the government’s free nutritious meals program and press several other demands.

Representatives of the protesters met with senior lawmakers, after which the AMPB group dispersed peacefully. However, Budi said another group subsequently arrived and began causing disturbances.

“A group then arrived and triggered unrest by trying to burn and push the main gate,” he said.

Police said some protesters refused to disperse and continued demonstrating into Thursday night. A police post beneath the Slipi overpass was vandalized and set on fire, while a motorcycle believed to belong to a police officer was also burned. Surveillance cameras and other public facilities were damaged.

The unrest later spread to nearby Pejompongan Raya Street, where several vehicles, road signs, cables and roadside landscaping were damaged.

Police closed Pejompongan Raya Street and sections of Jakarta’s inner-city toll road as they attempted to contain the crowd. Officers used tear gas and, at around 7 p.m., deployed water cannons to disperse protesters who remained in the area and were damaging public property.

Some protesters moved onto the elevated toll road near Slipi, where fireworks were set off, while others remained on Pejompongan Raya Street around midnight.

Police also arrested several people suspected of taking part in the violence. Budi said some detainees were allegedly carrying bladed weapons, damaging the parliament complex’s fence or interfering with officers. Police also confiscated objects found near the parliament gate, including bamboo sticks allegedly used during the unrest.

One detainee was from East Java and was allegedly intoxicated when he encountered officers near the Pancasila Gate, Budi said.

The police said the escalation occurred after protesters exceeded the legally permitted time for public demonstrations under Indonesia’s Law No. 9/1998 on freedom of public expression, which is 6 p.m.

Similar demonstrations were held in several other Indonesian cities, although none escalated to the same level as Jakarta.

Authorities had heightened security ahead of Thursday’s protests amid concerns of a repeat of widespread unrest in August 2025, when riots erupted in several Indonesian cities, including attacks on lawmakers’ homes and fires at government and public buildings.

Police on Friday urged all parties to maintain calm while allowing public grievances to be expressed peacefully.

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