By: Ainur RohmahPhoto from Pacific Press AgencyIndonesia’s week-long series of protests over stagnant wages, rising living costs and controversial policies, which blew up into a full-scale crisis when a police vehicle ran over and killed a food delivery motorcyclist during a protest near parliament building on August 28, entered a new and dangerous phase in the early hours today with at least six officials’ homes looted by mobs, including that of the internationally respected finance minister, Sri Mulyani Indrawati.Viral videos captured scenes that were nothing short of surreal. At two luxury residences belonging to lawmaker Ahmad Sahroni, mobs looted high-end items from branded handbags to expensive watches, while others stomped on his collection of luxury cars. In another clip, crowds forced open a safe and began distributing bundles of cash found inside.With at least five deaths so far, there have been waves of looting, street fires, and tense standoffs between protesters and security forces.Demonstrators with motorcyclist’s coffin. Photo from KompasThe upheaval started as peaceful rallies in the capital and major provincial cities across the country over a variety of issues including a new Rp50 million (US$3,030) per month housing allowance for lawmakers, quickly escalating into unrest that underscores the fragility of the country’s political climate, testing both the resilience of its democratic institutions and the patience of its peopleThe attacks began on Saturday evening and stretched into the early hours of Sunday, widely documented in videos shared by residents on social media. Footage showed throngs of people storming private residences, breaking into compounds, and carrying away belongings as bystanders looked on. What started as scattered incidents quickly grew into a pattern. After mobs raided the homes of several members of parliament – among them comedian-turned-politician Eko Patrio and television host Uya Kuya – demonstrators turned their attention to the residence of Sri Mulyani.By Sunday, there had been no official response from authorities or from the lawmakers whose homes had been ransacked, leaving a vacuum of accountability as outrage mounted both online and on the streets.President Prabowo Subianto was forced to cancel a trip to a weekend meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Beijing and issued an apology for the death of the 20-year-old Gojek driver, Affan Kurniawan, saying the seven officers in the police tactical vehicle that hit him had been arrested.Prabowo took to the airways again today in a live nationwide broadcast from the State Palace in Central Jakarta, flanked by party leaders including PDI-P chair Megawati Sukarnoputri to say the political parties have agreed to revoke a number of perks and privileges for parliamentarians and pledging that freedom of expression would be respected but warning that violence including looting and the destruction of facilities would not be tolerated.Smoldering resentmentThe protests that have swept the streets for a week were not born overnight. At the heart of the unrest lies an economic malaise that has grown more pronounced in recent months. While official figures show modest economic growth, many Indonesians feel left behind as inflation drives up the cost of basic goods, while layoffs have left thousands without work. Rice, a staple for nearly every household, has reached its highest price in years. At the very moment families are tightening their belts, the government has raised taxes.What fuels the anger further is the widening gap between the political elite and ordinary citizens. Combined with salaries and other perks, their compensation soars into the hundreds of millions. To many, it is a glaring symbol of privilege at odds with the hardship of daily life.When citizens voiced criticism, several members of parliament dismissed them with remarks that sounded condescending, even mocking, only deepening the sense of betrayal. Calls for the outright dissolution of Indonesia’s parliament, once confined to fringe circles, have now become a rallying cry of mass demonstrations.The turmoil has intensified dramatically in recent days. What began as organized rallies has now metastasized into widespread clashes across the archipelago. Affan Kurniawan’s death has become a symbol of the movement, galvanizing discontent and deepening mistrust of the state’s response.Protest spreads across countryAcross several provinces, the unrest has taken a destructive turn. Crowds set fire to public facilities including government offices, police posts, and transportation hubs, while regional legislative buildings were stormed and torched in cities from Medan to Surabaya. The blackened shells of local parliament houses now stand as stark symbols of the fury directed at Indonesia’s political class.The wave of unrest has already claimed lives in multiple cities. Another motorcycle taxi driver in Makassar also died after being beaten by a mob who thought he was an intelligence officer. Also in Makassar, three people died when protesters set fire to the regional legislature building.Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo echoed the president’s stance, vowing to safeguard public order with a firm hand. In a press briefing, he announced that officers had been instructed to remain disciplined but to remain uncompromising toward those inciting unrest.“We have seen over the past two days a disturbing escalation, with a tendency toward anarchistic actions in several regions – from the burning of government buildings and public facilities to attacks on headquarters and other sites,” he said. “These actions clearly violate the law and fall into the category of criminal offenses. Earlier today, the President instructed me and the Armed Forces Commander that, in response to such anarchistic acts, the military and police are to take firm measures in accordance with existing laws and regulations.”Social platforms go darkAs demonstrations spread, many Indonesians reported disruptions to social media platforms. Users said they were suddenly unable to access TikTok’s livestreaming feature, long a popular tool for broadcasting protests in real time. In several protest hubs on Saturday, power outages plunged neighborhoods into darkness, fueling fears that the blackouts were deliberate attempts to suppress coverage and communication.The restrictions have only heightened public anxiety that more violence could follow. With street clashes turning deadly and trust in the authorities fraying, the combination of digital silencing and sudden blackouts has left protesters feeling increasingly vulnerable. For now, there has been no clear accounting of how many people have been detained.For many Indonesians, the scenes evoked haunting memories of the May 1998 riots, when economic crisis and political collapse culminated in deadly unrest, looting, and the fall of Suharto’s three-decade-long rule. Though today’s demonstrations have not yet reached that level of violence, the comparisons are difficult to ignore.