Makassar, S Sulawesi (ANTARA) - Makassar Mayor Munafri Arifuddin has promised to cover all medical costs for city employees injured in a protest that turned violent and ended with the burning of the city’s legislative council building (DPRD).
“We are very concerned about what happened, and the city will pay for all treatment,” Munafri said on Saturday while visiting victims at Grestelina Hospital.
He was joined by city officials, including Secretary Andi Zulkifly Nanda and Communications Chief Muhammad Roem. Since Friday night, they had stayed at City Hall to monitor the situation.
The chaos started during a student protest on Friday evening, which escalated and led to Makassar City's DPRD building being set on fire.
“This visit shows the city government is here for its workers,” Munafri said.
Makassar Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) Head M. Fadli said eight people were rescued from the building. Three of them died, likely because they were trapped inside when the fire started.
The victims included Sarinawati, 26, a city council employee found burned at the scene; Syaiful, 43, a district office worker who died at the hospital; and Abay, another council staff member found dead at the site.
Two others are in critical condition, he said, adding that one victim, Budi Haryati, 30, is in a coma, while Heriyanto, 28, was seriously hurt after jumping from the fourth floor.
Three more people were moderately injured, including one hit by a rock and two who jumped from the building.
Emergency teams from the fire department, health agencies, and rescue groups responded quickly.
By early Saturday morning, crowds were still gathered at the scene. Some people looted the damaged building, taking car parts, electronics, and air conditioners — even as police looked on.
Eyewitnesses said the attack began when Molotov cocktails were thrown. Dozens of vehicles were torched during the chaos.
“This stuff will just go to waste,” said Amran, a resident salvaging metal from the wreckage.
In addition to Makassar, protests demanding justice for Indonesia's poor also broke out in several other cities, including Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Semarang, Solo, and Surabaya.
