At least 3 killed after protesters set council building on fire in Indonesia

At least three people have died in a council building that was allegedly set ablaze by protesters in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, on the evening of Aug. 29.

The victims of the blaze, which occurred at the Makassar City Legislative Council (DPRD) building, were two staff of the council and one civil servant, Jakarta Post reported.

Five others were also injured in the fire.

Chaos over death of Gojek rider

The blaze is allegedly directly linked to widespread chaos that has erupted across major Indonesian cities, including the capital Jakarta, after a 21-year-old Gojek rider was run over by a police armoured vehicle.

This comes amidst days of protests and rallies that began in Jakarta on Aug. 26 over low wages and what many perceived as excessive parliamentary benefits for lawmakers.

The rider's death triggered further anger and tensions as students called for protests outside police headquarters on Aug. 29.

Protests in Makassar, in particular, descended into violence outside its two DPRD buildings, both of which were set on fire alongside a number of vehicles.

Rocks and Molotov cocktails were also hurled and protesters allegedly stormed the buildings to set them on fire.

Makassar City Council secretary Rahmat Mappatoba told AFP that two of the victims died in the blaze at the DPRD building while a third died in hospital.

All three had reportedly been trapped in a room when the building caught fire.

Eight others were also evacuated from the burning building, and at least five others are receiving treatment at the hospital.

Of these, two remain in critical condition, with one being in a coma, Indonesian news media Antara reported.

Protesters could be heard clapping and cheering at the burning building in videos circulating on social media.

The fire has since been extinguished.

Hours after the fire in the early morning on Aug. 30, crowds remained within the vicinity.

Loots were reported on the remains of the charred building, according to Antara, including vehicle parts, electronics and air conditioner components.

"This is beyond our prediction, usually during a demonstration, protesters only threw rocks or burn a tyre in front of the office. They never stormed into the building or burned it," Rahmat said.

Jakarta has also seen its share of protests upon the death of the Gojek rider.

Hundreds reportedly gathered outside the headquarters of the Jakarta Police's elite Mobile Brigade (Brimob), which has been blamed for the Gojek rider's death. 

Firecrackers were thrown by protesters, who were met with tear gas by the police.

Many also attempted to tear down the building's gates and pull down a sign, Jakarta Post said.

CNA reported that the protests have since spread to other major cities, including Bandung, Semarang and Surabaya in Java and Medan in North Sumatra.

Windows have reportedly been smashed and signs destroyed, while police posts have been ransacked and burned.

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