Omnibus Law: Indonesian police fire tear gas as 3,000 students, workers wage protests

Protesters say the new law will cripple labour rights and harm the environment

Authorities in Bandung fired tear gas and water cannons after protesters set fires near blocked streets and pelted the police with rocks and petrol bombs

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Riot police officers are hit by a petrol bomb in Bandung on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:46pm, 7 Oct 2020Updated: 9:37pm, 25 Nov 2020

Thousands of Indonesian students and workers protested on Wednesday against a new law they say will cripple labour rights and harm the environment, with some clashing with police. One student was apparently shot.

Authorities in Bandung, the capital of West Java province, blocked streets leading to the local parliament building and city hall, where clashes between rock-throwing students and riot police broke out late on Tuesday when police tried to disperse the protesters.

On Wednesday, more than 3,000 protesters, including workers and high school and university students, attempted to reach the heavily guarded parliament building.

Protesters set fires to tyres near blocked streets and pelted police with rocks and petrol bombs and broke down a gate of the parliament compound. Riot police responded by firing tear gas and water cannons.

Riot police unleash water cannon to disperse student protesters in Bandung. Photo: AFP

Smaller protests also occurred in other Indonesian cities, including in Jakarta’s satellite cities of Tangerang and Bekasi where large factories are located, and many cities on Sumatra and Sulawesi islands.

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