The Bali Post reports that large-scale public unrest, described as unruly and “anarchist,” occurred in front of the Bali People’s Representative Council (DPRD-Bali) in Denpasar on Saturday evening, 30 August 2025, beginning at 5:35 pm and lasting until 2:00 am the following morning.
Angry demonstrators reportedly damaged police vehicles, set fires, threw stones at law enforcement officials, ignited firecrackers, and tossed Molotov cocktails.
Reports indicate that demonstrators began gathering just south of the DPRD-Bali on Jalan Kusuma Bangsa at 5:00 pm. To the north of the legislature, in anticipation of possible violence, by 5:45 pm, police had deployed water cannons, specially-equipped crowd control officers (raimas), and trucks.
While the water cannon vehicles managed to enter the DPRD Grounds successfully, vehicles carrying crowd control officers and other police vehicles were blocked by the demonstrators using stones and other means to damage vehicles. Fighting at close quarters, the crowds managed to seize police protective gear, helmets, police batons, and teargas launchers. The crowd also set fire to a police box van, a fire that was quickly extinguished by DPRD-Bali security Guards using fire extinguishers.
During the altercation, Inspector First Class Wayan Ardy, a policeman who was driving one of the vehicles, suffered facial wounds, possibly caused by a stone hurled by the crowd.
The Bali Post continued, reporting police pushed the demonstrators to the south, away from the DPRD-Bali Building. Shortly thereafter, fully-armed crowd control officers (Dalmas) and Mobile Brigade Police (Brimob) “numbering in the hundreds,” supported by five additional water cannons and armored vehicles, arrived on the scene, resulting in a momentary stand-off between crowds hurling stones and pyrotechnics.
In addition to looting police equipment, the crowds also set fire to tires that they had brought to the area in advance.
Police deployed tear gas and powerful water cannon streams against the crowds. Meanwhile, police reportedly arrested “tens of demonstrators” who were herded into the DPRD building.
At 10:00 pm, groups of two-man specially-trained “anti-anarchist” BRIMOB Troops, riding two abreast on motorcycles, undertook a bold charging frontal assault on the demonstrators, scattering the insurgents in all directions.
Attacks and counterattacks between police and demonstrators continued until past midnight. By 2:00 am the following morning, the crowds dispersed, and the police anti-riot personnel remained on standby at the DPRD-Bali building.
The public unrest in Denpasar mirrored widespread unrest in other locations across Indonesia, including crowds setting fires to public buildings and large public protests in various locales, such as Jakarta, Makassar, Bandung, and Lombok. In Makassar, the burning of the DPRD-Makassar claimed 3 lives.
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