Indonesian police used tear gas and water cannons on Monday (April 11) to disperse hundreds of university students protesting against high cooking oil prices and extending President Joko Widod's stay.
According to a Reuters witness, crowds of demonstrators were seen in front of the parliament in the capital Jakarta, while Kompas television reported that they were throwing stones at the complex.
The demonstration was one of several in Indonesia on Monday, including South Sulawesi, West Java and Jakarta, where hundreds of students in neon jackets marched to parliament to complain about rising education costs. commodities and the chances of the president's two-year limit. .
Jakarta police chief Fadil Imran told a news conference that a university teacher who had taken part in the demonstration had suffered "serious" injuries after being beaten and kicked by a group of "non-students". He also injured six police officers who tried to help the teacher, he added. He did not say why the group focused on teachers.
Jokow, the president knew, tried to speculate on Sunday of his allies' plan to keep him in power.
The idea of extending her term by amending the constitution or postponing the election to 2024 has recently gained strength in the world's third-largest democracy after being backed by some influential politicians.
"It is not clear how the elite is being forced to postpone the election, and that is what damaged the constitution," said Muhammad Lutfi, a student who took part in the protest.
University students have traditionally been at the forefront of efforts to defend Indonesia's democratic victories after taking to the streets in 1998 during mass protests that helped overthrow former President Suharto. The idea of allowing more than a maximum of two to five years as president has raised concerns about the threat to difficult democratic reforms.
On Sunday, the 60-year-old Jokow called on ministers and security chiefs to stop discussing the issue for the second time in less than a week, and said it was clear that the elections would take place in February 2024, as planned.
"Whether there is speculation among the public that the government is trying to delay the election, or speculation about extending the term of the presidency or anything related to the third term," he said at the hearing.
Jokowi has maintained a high rating since his first election in 2014, but a recent Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) poll found that more than 70 percent of Indonesians reject the expansion plan.
He was criticized for his vague stance on the issue, calling it a slap in the face and a mere "idea," but for not explicitly rejecting it or deciding to stay in power any longer.