JAKARTA: Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung and the police have sought to reassure businesses and the public that the Indonesian capital remains safe after shopping malls and office buildings in the capital and other cities erected tall metal fences around their premises.This was seen as a move to guard against possible protests, though some building owners have denied this is the case.The barriers, some reaching between 2m and 5m high and topped with pointed spikes, have appeared outside shopping centres, office buildings and state-owned banks in Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Surakarta over the past week, news outlet Kompas reported.In Jakarta, malls including Kota Kasablanka, Blok M Plaza and FX Sudirman installed steel perimeter fences around their entrances, while similar barriers were also erected outside several state-owned bank buildings in the Slipi area.In Surabaya, fences have appeared at Pakuwon City Mall, Royal Plaza, Tunjungan Plaza and Pakuwon Mall, fuelling speculation on social media that businesses were preparing for possible demonstrations and unrest in August.Online discussions have linked the move to fears that large-scale protests similar to those seen across Indonesia last August could return, with unverified social media posts speculating on supposed dates that demonstrations would take place.The protests in August 2025 forced some shopping malls to temporarily close after demonstrations escalated into violence in several Indonesian cities.The unrest intensified after a motorcycle taxi driver was fatally struck by a police vehicle during a protest in Jakarta. Several people were killed and others injured, with losses estimated to run into billions of rupiah.At the time last year, the Indonesian Shopping Center Management Association (APPBI) appealed to the government to strengthen security measures so that shopping centres could continue operating while ensuring the safety of shoppers and employees.Speaking to local media on Friday (Jul 31), Pramono acknowledged that businesses were concerned about a repeat of last year's unrest but urged them not to overreact, saying that the city administration was working closely with the police and military to ensure Jakarta remained safe."I understand there are concerns because of what happened in August last year. But hopefully it will not happen again, and I believe it will not," he said."As governor of Jakarta, I am coordinating with the police, the military and other agencies to keep Jakarta safe."