STATE BLAMES FABRICATED “CHAOS STAR” ANARCHIST NETWORK FOR INSTIGATING GRASSROOTS UPRISING ~ Cristina Sykes ~ Anarchists in Indonesia are calling for international support for comrades imprisoned and tortured following the August uprisings. In the wake of mass protests against corruption and inequality, around 900 people are being detained and named as suspects, many of them anarchists or sympathizers, spread across various cities. The latest solidarity call named over 40 anarchists arrested in West Java, accused of being part of the so-called “Chaos Star” network, which the government describes as a “foreign-backed anarchist group”. According to an activist source, the arrests were triggered by social media posts showing actions such as Molotov cocktail attacks. The detainees face charges ranging from property destruction to online incitement. While many are still awaiting trial, some of the accused face up to 20 years in prison. The imprisoned comrades have been isolated, and their access to legal representation has been severely restricted. Many are young, and their families report widespread torture and abuse, with some forced to give false confessions. Among those accused of “leading” the network and the recent anarchist uprisings are Bima Satria Putra, an anarchist jailed since 2021 on cannabis charges. Recently transferred to solitary confinement at Lapas Merah Mata, his family and lawyers have been blocked from seeing him. Another is Reyhard Rumbayan, known as Eat, who was arrested in Makassar on 23 September 2025 and is currently held in solitary confinement and denied contact with others. The unrest began in August 2025, when widespread anger against former military leader Prabowo Subianto’s regime sparked protests that quickly turned violent, and later spread to Nepal and the Philippines as well as Morocco, Madagascar and Peru. The Indonesian government has since responded with mass arrests, media manipulation, and brutal policing. The crackdown is seen as part of a broader government effort to suppress anarchist movements, echoing past anti-communist purges. International solidarity is crucial, as anarchists call on supporters to send letters and postcards to the imprisoned comrades. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Verified machine-assisted edit. Image courtesy of CrimethInc.com   The post Crackdown in Indonesia, anarchists appeal for solidarity appeared first on Freedom News.

PROTESTS REMAIN MILITANT, AS STUDENT AND UNION LEADERS FAIL TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE GRASSROOTS ~ Cristina Sykes ~ Protesters across Indonesia have launched another day of confrontational demonstrations, with the uprising that has gripped the country in recent days showing no signs of abating. Initially opposing both steep tax hikes and lavish wage- and expense increases for members of parliament, the protests took a militant turn after brutal footage showed paramilitary police running over a delivery driver during a demonstration on 28 August. The following day, rebellions exploded erupted spontaneously in the capital Jakarta and many other cities including Makassar, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Medan, and Pontianak. Demonstrators have targeted police posts, police stations, and the House of Representatives (DPR) office. By the weekend, protests also spread to the private homes of DPR members and political party offices. At least six more protesters have been killed since then, more than 700 arrested, and hundreds injured. However, footage has also emerged of police making hasty retreats away from advancing crowds and their projectiles. While the government has not resorted to all-out power outages, there have been phone signal disruptions at the demonstration sites and disruptions to internet access and digital information flows. “The demonstrations no longer emerged from the consolidation of formal student organisations and labour unions, but emerged organically from the people themselves”, said Indonesian anarchists in online correspondence. “Furthermore, support for violent actions increased, whereas in the past, we anarchists were always scapegoated and blamed by the public, the press, and the government”. Since 2019, Indonesia has experienced waves of uprisings that have ebbed and flowed. Anarchists have always been at the forefront of street battles as well as influential in organising resistance to evictions and land struggles, student and pupil movements, football supporters, and the underground music scene. Mainstream media reported that Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto has cancelled his trip to China, while political parties agreed to cut lawmakers’ benefits in a bid to calm the rebellion. “This is not just a protest—it’s a collective eruption of rage against rising housing taxes, endless corruption, and the military-police dogs of the state”, said another anarchist statement. “Usually some liberal union or opposition party controls the narratives but not this time. We give it up to the youngsters. We can only stimulate them to be more uncontrollable”. As the situation continues to escalate, anarchists are raising funds to establish a network of safe houses for protesters and frontline activists at risk. A page maintained by our friends at Organise Magazine collects the latest statements from protesters and additional background articles. The post Indonesia uprising: “A collective eruption of rage” appeared first on Freedom News.