August 30, 2025 | 03:51 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A protest by citizens and students in front of the South Sulawesi's Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) office in Makassar turned deadly after the building was set on fire on Friday night, August 29, 2025.
Demonstrators were voicing opposition to the increase in lawmakers’ benefits and protesting the death of online motorcycle taxi driver Affan Kurniawan, who was run over by a police tactical vehicle.
Head of Public Relations and Protocol Division of the Makassar DPRD, Syahril, confirmed that six people were affected in the blaze, four of whom died.
Among the victims were municipal police officer Budi and Ujung Padang District’s Head of Welfare Section, Syaiful Akbar. Both perished after leaping from the third floor in an attempt to escape the fire.
“They were rushed to Grestelina Hospital but could not be saved,” Syahril told Tempo on Saturday, August 30, 2025.
Two others died after being trapped inside a second-floor room: DPRD protocol staff member Muhammad Akbar Basri and the aide of a DPRD legislator, Syahrina.
“One of the victims, a woman, died from severe burns,” Syahril explained. “The male victim had gone to look for her, but both became trapped and did not survive.”
The victims’ bodies are now being held at Bhayangkara Hospital.
In addition to the four fatalities, Syahril reported that two others, a janitor and another employee, were injured and remain under treatment at Grestelina Hospital.
He said the reason so many people were caught in the fire was that at the time, a plenary meeting was underway with DPRD members and Makassar Mayor Munafri Arifuddin.
“At first, those inside the building didn’t expect the protesters to set it on fire and continued their activities,” Syahril said. “But suddenly a large crowd gathered and torched the building.”
As the blaze spread, plenary participants evacuated through the back door leading to a housing complex, though some were still trapped inside. “This is the preliminary information we have,” he added.
Head of Fire Department Operations in Makassar, Cakrawala, confirmed the casualties. “Yes, there were victims, some of whom died from burns,” he said.
After torching the Makassar DPRD building, protesters marched to the South Sulawesi DPR office, where they set fire to documents and chairs before moving further inside the building.
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