Indonesia’s capital Jakarta erupted in violence on Wednesday as police in riot gear fired water cannons and tear gas at protestors opposed to President Joko Widodo’s re-election, with parts of the sprawling city littered with debris and burned-out cars.
The city’s governor Anies Baswedan was quoted by local media as saying six people had been killed with more than 200 injured. Police said they were probing reports of deaths, but denied that any live rounds had been fired on the crowd. Dozens were arrested.
Early Wednesday, some protesters had set market stalls and cars on fire, while hurling fireworks and rocks at authorities who had ordered them to disperse, said an AFP reporter on the scene.
The spasm of violence triggered fresh security advisories from the US and Australian embassies.
Later roads were blocked off in parts of the sprawling city, with some shopping malls, businesses and schools also closed. More than 30,000 troops had been deployed in anticipation of unrest when the official poll figures were announced.
National police spokesman Muhammad Iqbal said 69 people had been arrested at the protests. Authorities were also probing reports several demonstrators had died, including at least one reportedly killed by a bullet, he said. But Iqbal said police had not fired live rounds, and portrayed the violence as a planned act by “provocateurs”.