August 2nd, 2025 - ‘The Bang, Bang, Bang’: Jakarta Street Vendors Navigate Protests, Tear Gas, and Looting

When protests flare in Indonesia’s lively democracy, street-food vendors like Wiyono know where to go. For more than a week, as thousands demanded that lawmakers cut lavish spending amid economic hardship, he pedaled his bicycle over an hour from a northern slum to central Jakarta, carrying a wooden box full of fish dumplings for hungry protesters.

Jakarta, Indonesia’s sprawling capital, is sinking into the Java Sea, its rivers overrun and groundwater depleted. The gap between the wealthy elite and ordinary citizens is growing, with the middle class shrinking and youth unemployment surpassing 16 percent. University graduates struggle to find work in a country otherwise poised for a demographic dividend.

The protests are fueled by these economic concerns. Indonesians have long used rallies to press leaders for change, from toppling a dictator decades ago to demanding accountability from elected officials today. Security forces often respond with force, relying on established tactics to break up demonstrations.

Last week, Wiyono found himself caught in the chaos near Parliament. Selling plates of dumplings and vegetables one moment, he was running from tear gas the next, abandoning his bike in the melee. Though he earned only about $6 before fleeing, he returned the next morning to find his pots and food spoiled, but his gas canister luckily undetonated.

Tragedy struck again on Aug. 28, when a motorcycle ride-share driver was killed by a police vehicle, sparking more rallies nationwide and additional deaths in Makassar. President Prabowo Subianto responded by promising to review lawmakers’ perks, though protests continued the following days, and Wiyono returned to sell food despite the risks.

In Jakarta’s dense urban landscape, protesters navigate narrow alleyways and neighborhoods, evading tear gas and finding temporary refuge. Local residents in kampungs, or village settlements, often help, offering water to rinse eyes and forming barricades to protect their communities. Food vendors like Sulasih and her husband continue working amid the chaos, shielding children and the elderly as they cook.

As demonstrations escalate, some protesters have attacked politicians’ homes, echoing past violence during Indonesia’s Reformasi movement. While the current security response has avoided mass casualties, the threat of further unrest lingers. Street vendors, like chicken seller Nurohmah, understand the protesters’ demands, sharing their concerns while hoping for order amid the turmoil.When protests flare in Indonesia’s lively democracy, street-food vendors like Wiyono know where to go. For more than a week, as thousands demanded that lawmakers cut lavish spending amid economic hardship, he pedaled his bicycle over an hour from a northern slum to central Jakarta, carrying a wooden box full of fish dumplings for hungry protesters.

Jakarta, Indonesia’s sprawling capital, is sinking into the Java Sea, its rivers overrun and groundwater depleted. The gap between the wealthy elite and ordinary citizens is growing, with the middle class shrinking and youth unemployment surpassing 16 percent. University graduates struggle to find work in a country otherwise poised for a demographic dividend.

The protests are fueled by these economic concerns. Indonesians have long used rallies to press leaders for change, from toppling a dictator decades ago to demanding accountability from elected officials today. Security forces often respond with force, relying on established tactics to break up demonstrations.

Last week, Wiyono found himself caught in the chaos near Parliament. Selling plates of dumplings and vegetables one moment, he was running from tear gas the next, abandoning his bike in the melee. Though he earned only about $6 before fleeing, he returned the next morning to find his pots and food spoiled, but his gas canister luckily undetonated.

Tragedy struck again on Aug. 28, when a motorcycle ride-share driver was killed by a police vehicle, sparking more rallies nationwide and additional deaths in Makassar. President Prabowo Subianto responded by promising to review lawmakers’ perks, though protests continued the following days, and Wiyono returned to sell food despite the risks.

In Jakarta’s dense urban landscape, protesters navigate narrow alleyways and neighborhoods, evading tear gas and finding temporary refuge. Local residents in kampungs, or village settlements, often help, offering water to rinse eyes and forming barricades to protect their communities. Food vendors like Sulasih and her husband continue working amid the chaos, shielding children and the elderly as they cook.

As demonstrations escalate, some protesters have attacked politicians’ homes, echoing past violence during Indonesia’s Reformasi movement. While the current security response has avoided mass casualties, the threat of further unrest lingers. Street vendors, like chicken seller Nurohmah, understand the protesters’ demands, sharing their concerns while hoping for order amid the turmoil.

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster) - Carp (verb, KAHRP) - To carp is to complain in an annoying way.

Example: They’re always carping about their boss.

Image credit: Unsplash