Indonesia detains 154 after violent night of protests

Violent clashes in Yogyakarta

Indonesian authorities detained 154 people in Yogyakarta following violent overnight clashes between protesters and security forces, as demonstrations over economic grievances and wildfire management spread across the Southeast Asian nation. The unrest erupted late Tuesday when approximately 100 demonstrators gathered near the provincial parliament building in the city southeast of the capital Jakarta.

Protesters launched firecrackers, rocks and Molotov cocktails toward the legislative complex, prompting police to deploy tactical vehicles, tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowd, according to an AFP reporter at the scene. Officers seized six Molotov cocktails and 12 firecrackers as evidence during the operation, police said in a statement Wednesday.

Police pledge investigation

National Police Chief Suyudi Ario Seto inspected the damage early Wednesday and vowed a thorough probe into the orchestration of the violence. "We will investigate whether... there were efforts to deliberately cause damage whether there were other objectives," Suyudi said. Yogyakarta police spokeswoman Novita Eka Sari confirmed the 154 detentions in connection with the unrest.

Economic grievances fuel protests

The violence followed earlier peaceful demonstrations across Indonesia on Tuesday, including a gathering of hundreds near the Yogyakarta governor's office demanding higher minimum wages. In Surabaya, the country's second-largest city, protesters also took to the streets citing wildfires and rising food prices as primary concerns.

The demonstrations reflect mounting public frustration over stagnant wages and the government's response to devastating seasonal wildfires that have blanketed parts of the archipelago in hazardous smoke. Tuesday's clashes marked the most violent turn in recent weeks of civil unrest driven by economic pressures.