“`html
The Islamic University of Bandung’s student body says security officials ‘brutally attacked’ the campus with tear gas.
published On 2 sep 2025
Tear gas was deployed by Indonesian police near two university campuses amidst ongoing nationwide demonstrations concerning government spending and outrage over the death of a motorcycle taxi driver, according to student groups and authorities. The driver was killed after being struck by a police vehicle.
On Tuesday, tear gas was used near the campuses of the Islamic University of Bandung (UNISBA) and Pasundan University, located more than 140km (86 miles) west of Jakarta.
According to Reuters, Muhammad Ilham, a Pasundan student, stated that authorities fired tear gas canisters and rubber bullets from outside the campus gates.
“There was a student who got hit by the rubber bullet, two shots,” he said.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto stated on Monday that at least eight people have died in the protests as last week.
Police official Hendra Rochmawan stated that authorities did not enter the campuses on Tuesday, but attempted to disperse non-student protesters seeking refuge within the university grounds.
UNISBA rector Harits Nu’man corroborated the police statement, confirming that the campus served as a medical hub for protesters.
The UNISBA student body, however, accused security forces of suppressing dissent, stating they “brutally attacked” the campus, causing breathing problems for some students due to the tear gas.
Mass unrest
Reporting from Jakarta, Al Jazeera’s Jessica Washington noted that motorbike taxi drivers were gathering to honor the 21-year-old driver who died after being hit by a police vehicle.
“There are thousands of them. They say to demonstrate the power of peaceful assembly so they can honor thier colleague, that they can call for their various demands, including economic inequality and do it peacefully,” Washington said.
She added that civil society groups are “raising the alarm” over the arrest of a civil society leader in Jakarta.
A coalition of women’s groups has planned further protests outside parliament in Jakarta for Tuesday.
The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) reports that at least 20 protesters have gone missing since the protests began last week,fueled by anger over government overspending and police violence. These disappearances occurred in Bandung, Depok, Central Jakarta, East Jakarta, and North Jakarta.
University students in Indonesia have historically been at the forefront of democratic movements,notably playing a key role in the protests that led to the fall of President Soeharto in 1998.
President Prabowo Subianto, a military leader under Soeharto, faces his first major leadership challenge. He has met with labor unions, some of whom participated in last week’s protests advocating for a minimum wage increase, and has directed lawmakers to discuss labor laws, according to a statement from his office.
Indonesians are using pink and green filters on their social media profiles, along with the hashtag #ResetIndonesia, to express their demands for the government.
“There was a student who got hit by the rubber bullet, two shots.”
