A woman holds up a sign alleging that incumbent President Joko Widodo cheated in the election before a crowd of bored Brimob officers during a peaceful moment in the protest. Photo by Willy Kurniawan Reuters
A woman poses with Indonesian soldiers. Photo by Iyas Lawrence
- There were two distinct actions taking place during the protests: a peaceful side that happened during the day until a few hours after the protestors broke their Ramadan fasts, and a more violent, chaotic one that carried on until late in the night.
- No one could agree on who the violent protestors actually were. The police held press conferences throughout the protests showing the press evidence that the riots were being paid for by someone. Many of the rioters had envelopes of cash stuffed in their pockets. Jakarta police say they had recordings and WhatsApp conversations showing that the most violent rioters had planned their actions in advance. Some arrived with weapons and Molotov cocktails ready to riot. An ambulance provided by an unnamed political party was found full of rocks and cash. To the police, and members of the Jokowi administration, the violence was an orchestrated event, not an instance of "people power" boiling over in anger.
- But the peaceful protestors on the scene repeatedly told VICE reporters that the "provocateurs" were being paid for by someone else who wanted to undermine their goals of forcing the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) to listen to their claims of election fraud. Prabowo's spokesman issued a similar statement, telling the press that they had repeatedly issued calls for a calm protest and that the violence was the work of provocateurs.
The protests turned violent as night fell on May 22, 2019. Photo by Muhammad Adimaja/Antara Foto/ via Reuters
- Still, someone was helping orchestrate the protests themselves. Numerous protestors told VICE reporters that they would leave when their "commander" told them it was time to go. Others, like Arif, the 24-year-old from Bekasi, said he was following the orders of the "Grand Imam"—a reference to Habib Rizieq Shihab, the head of the hardline Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) who is currently living in self-imposed exile in Saudi Arabia.
Two masked protestors with toothpaste smeared on their faces to lessen the effects of tear gas. Photo by Iyas Lawrence
- Early claims that protestors were fatally shot by someone—the protestors say the police, the police say the provocateurs—were really overblown. Two protestors who died were brought to Central Jakarta's Tarakan Hospital with what looked like gunshot wounds. However, there's no way to know what they were shot with because their families refused an autopsy, explained Dr. Reggy S. Sobari, a hospital spokesman who was who was on-shift during much of the protests. Numerous protestors arrived at the hospital saying they were shot and were carrying the bullet themselves in their hands. In these instances, the bullets were rubber. The other four who died were stabbed, not shot, according to the police.
Husein, a protestor from Jambi, shows us where he was shot with a rubber bullet. Photo by Firman Dicho Rivan
- Today things are calm, but we don't know for how long. Prabowo himself urged protestors to go home and remain calm in a video speech sent out early Thursday morning, telling the crowds to "Just trust your leaders, we’ll still fight through the constitutional legal process. I want you all to be patient and stay calm." There was still a heavy police presence in the streets on Thursday but Jakarta Police officials said there were no protests scheduled for the day. Still, that didn't mean that someone wouldn't try to riot anyway, they warned. The police were issuing a circular warning that tensions might remain high until the weekend.
- A lot of Indonesian Muslims were fed up with the protests and riots, especially the use of the word "rakyat," or people. The local press, and the protestors themselves, were calling this a sign of "people power." Alissa Wahid, the daughter of former President Abdurrahman Wahid (popularly known as Gus Dur), responded with the hashtag #TidakAtasNamaSaya, or #NotInMyName. Soon the hashtag spread across Twitter as Indonesians responded calling the protests, and their allegations, a scene of senseless bloodshed and unmitigated chaos.
- Hundreds were arrested in the protests and ensuing riots—more than 240 in total. By Thursday, police were still questioning those detained while their friends and families gathered outside the Jakarta Police headquarters in SCBD waiting for word of who was actually inside.
- Even if the protests are done, it doesn't mean this is over yet. Prabowo has challenged the KPU's decision in the Constitutional Court, which extends this current period of uncertainty for at least another month.
