Following the chaos that unfolded last night in Jakarta after the protests by supporters of Prabowo Subianto ran late into the night, leading to violent riots around Central Jakarta, many Indonesians woke up in shock to the news this morning and took to social media to speak out, leading to a number of trending hashtags showing how people feel about the tense situation in the capital.
By far the biggest trending hashtag in Indonesia at the moment is #TangkapPrabowo (#ArrestPrabowo), which mostly features netizens blasting the retired general for the chaos that has ensued after he refused to accept the official elections that were released yesterday.
One Twitter user, @r4nigoes, posted a video from this morning, asking Prabowo to accept his defeat.
Still happening this morning. We dont want anymore riots. May 1998 and now. Accept your lost.#TangkapPRABOWO pic.twitter.com/28Gd5UHV2q
— Meraki 🍪 (@cikMeraki) May 22, 2019
Another user, @novitaesterr, expressed a similar sentiment, attaching a photo of the situation in Thamrin, Central Jakarta area on Tuesday evening along with her tweet.
Just because you don't accept your lost and the situation becomes like this? I'm sick, and get the fvck out from here. Indonesia can rise without a trash like you. #TangkapPRABOWO #nkrihargamati #saveindonesia pic.twitter.com/IGBHAaQBVV
— Novita Ester (@novitaesterrr) May 22, 2019
Prabowo was briefly named a suspect by the National Police, but his suspect status was abruptly pulled by police yesterday.
The #saveindonesia hashtag has also been trending. Twitter user @NabillaSyafira_ used it to express her shame for being Indonesian while attaching photos of the tumult from the night before.
https://twitter.com/NabillaSyafira_/status/1131005693761282048
Meanwhile, others also used the #saveindonesia hashtag to express their gratitude to members of the police who have been safeguarding the capital for several days now, amid fears of unrest.
https://twitter.com/RibeBecca/status/1131014163235348480
Some 32,000 security personnel have been deployed across Jakarta, most of which are concentrated around the offices of the General Election Commission (KPU) and the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), where barricades of razor wire have been put in place to hold off protesters from entering the surrounding area.
An Instagram post from photojournalist Mas Agung Wilis Yudha Baskoro also made rounds across different platforms, showcasing a glimpse of humanity among the tense uncertainties. In the photo, Yudha captured an officer trying to get some rest, while another officer took a video call with what appears to be his child.
“Bawaslu is crowded with people. But exhaustion and the feeling of missing home remains amidst it all,” the photo caption reads.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxu8AEWhfv1/
