Jakarta. A mass protest outside the House of Representatives complex in Senayan on Monday brought major traffic disruptions and forced public transport operators to suspend or reroute services across central Jakarta.

The rally drew thousands of students, workers, and activists who voiced anger at what they called tone-deaf government policies, mainly lawmakers’ recent pay hikes amid economic hardship. The government recently approved a Rp 50 million ($3,000) monthly housing allowance for each lawmaker, a move critics argue is grossly out of touch with the struggles of ordinary Indonesians. Demonstrators also called for the dissolution of parliament.

Police closed Jalan Gatot Subroto in front of the parliament complex from midday until evening after clashes broke out between demonstrators and officers near the Gerbang Pemuda flyover. Access to the inner-city toll road was also sealed off until around 7 p.m., with traffic diverted to alternative routes.

At around 5 p.m., protesters broke through the Inner-City Toll Road at KM 07+400 near the Semanggi–Slipi section, halting traffic entirely. Ginanjar Rakhmanto, senior manager at Jasamarga Metropolitan Tollroad, confirmed the incident, saying police immediately deployed tactical vehicles to restore order.

“To maintain safety and traffic flow, tactical units have been directed to the location to manage the crowd,” Ginanjar said in a statement. Jasamarga also implemented diversions: vehicles from Cawang to Slipi were rerouted via off-ramp KM 05+000, while those heading to Cawang exited at KM 12+500. Motorists were urged to avoid the toll road around Semanggi and Senayan and check updates via Jasa Marga’s official channels, the TRAVOY app, or its 24-hour hotline.

The unrest spilled over to nearby areas, including Spark Senayan, Semanggi flyover, Hotel Mulia, and the Pancasila building. By 6:30 p.m., most protesters had dispersed, and several main roads --including Jalan Gatot Subroto, Jalan Gerbang Pemuda, and Jalan Asia Afrika-- were gradually reopened.

The clashes also disrupted the Commuter Line rail network. Operator KAI Commuter said trains from Rangkasbitung, Parung Panjang, and Serpong could only terminate at Kebayoran Station instead of continuing to Palmerah or Tanah Abang, due to large crowds near railway crossings around the parliament. Passengers were urged to use alternative stations.

Transjakarta bus services were similarly hit by traffic rerouting and road closures. Several routes were suspended or cut short, including

• S61 (Blok M–Alam Sutera): suspended.

• 8C (Kebayoran Lama–Tanah Abang) & 9E (Kebayoran Lama–Jelambar): suspended.

• 8N (Kebayoran–Petamburan via Asia Afrika): suspended.

• 10H (Tanjung Priok–Bundaran Senayan): shortened to Kemanggisan.

• 6V (Ragunan–Senayan Bank DKI): temporarily diverted but restored by late afternoon.

Authorities deployed 1,250 police personnel to secure the protest, which began around 9 a.m. Several officers sustained minor injuries, but no fatalities were reported.