Jakarta. The driver of an armored police vehicle confessed Friday that he fatally ran over 21-year-old ride-hailing driver Affan Kurniawan during a protest over lawmakers' perks in Jakarta, telling an internal affairs hearing that chaotic conditions left him unable to see the victim.

“The road was full of rocks, there was smoke inside the vehicle. I only focused straight ahead,” the driver said during a session held by the National Police’s Internal Affairs Division (Propam). “The situation was already full of pressure from the mass,” he added, admitting he continued driving despite the crowd.

Affan's death on Aug. 28 has triggered nationwide protests, with students and ride-hailing drivers demanding accountability and reforms to police crowd-control tactics. Demonstrations have flared into clashes in Jakarta, Surabaya, Malang, Bengkulu, and other cities, some involving arson, looting, and the use of tear gas and water cannons.

Propam head Inspector General Abdul Karim said seven Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers have been found guilty of violating the police code of ethics and placed in 20-day special detention.

“Seven individuals have been designated as violators, and it is confirmed they were proven to have breached the professional code of ethics,” Karim told reporters at Police Headquarters in Jakarta on Friday.

He stressed the disciplinary process is being carried out under direct orders from President Prabowo Subianto and National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo.

Jakarta Police Chief Asep Edi Suheri publicly disclosed the names of the seven officers: Cosmas K. Gae,  M. Rohyani,  Rohmat, Danang, Mardin, Yohanes David, and Jana Edi. “This is part of our commitment to handling the case professionally and transparently,” he said.

Images from the Propam session showed the officers in orange shirts being questioned by investigators.

Despite the disciplinary action, protests are expected to intensify. Student groups announced plans for a coordinated national demonstration on Sept. 1, with demands ranging from justice for Kurniawan to cuts in lawmakers’ allowances, another issue fueling public anger.

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