Protesters clash with police outside Indonesian parliament, water cannons deployed

Demonstrations outside the Indonesian parliament escalated into chaos on Thursday afternoon, prompting a strong response from law enforcement.

As evening approached, police began deploying water cannons to disperse a group of protesters who had remained in front of the DPR/MPR RI building. The situation became volatile as demonstrators reportedly began throwing stones and setting fire to cardboard boxes.

In response, police emerged from the parliament's front gate, initiating a push to move the crowd back. Officers formed a barricade, equipped with shields and wooden batons, to force the protesters away from the building. The demonstrators were pushed towards two separate directions, one towards Pejompongan and the other towards Gelora Bung Keno (GBK) or Senayan.

Earlier, some protesters had begun to disperse, with police urging the public to return home. However, a segment of the demonstrators regrouped and continued their actions. The clashes led to the closure of the Cawang-Grogol toll road in the direction of Slipi by authorities.