Thousands rallied across Indonesia on Monday, prompting a military deployment in the capital after six people were killed during nationwide protests over lawmakers’ lavish perks.
At least 500 protesters gathered outside the nation's parliament in Jakarta on Monday afternoon as dozens of police officers watched on. Soldiers were present earlier but left after several hours.
Thousands more rallied in Palembang on Sumatra island and hundreds gathered separately in Banjarmasin on Borneo island, Yogyakarta on the main island of Java and Makassar on Sulawesi island, according to AFP journalists around the country.
"Our main goal is to reform the parliament. We hope the parliament will come out and meet us. We want to talk to them directly, they are our representatives," protester and university student Nafta Keisya Kemalia, 20, told AFP outside parliament.
"Do they want to wait until we have a martial law?"
