Riot police in Jakarta clashed with thousands of students on Monday as anger spilled into the streets over generous housing benefits for Indonesian lawmakers.

Protesters attempted to march on Parliament but were met with multiple rounds of tear gas. Demonstrators hurled stones and bottles in return, with some setting fires under a flyover near the heavily fortified complex. Authorities sealed surrounding streets, including key toll roads, creating gridlock across the city.

More than 1,200 security personnel were deployed to contain the unrest. Police confirmed no immediate reports of injuries, though tensions remained high as crowds pressed against barricades.

At the heart of the protests is lawmakers’ monthly housing allowance of 50 million rupiah (€2,841), a figure nearly 20 times the minimum wage in Indonesia’s poorer provinces. Activists and students say the benefit is an insult to ordinary citizens struggling under economic hardship, especially as the allowance comes on top of lawmakers’ regular salaries.

House Speaker Puan Maharani defended the payments over the weekend, saying the figure had been “thoroughly considered” and adjusted to match living costs in the capital.

But protesters argue the policy reflects deeper inequities in the political system. Corruption remains a long-standing concern in Indonesia, where both Parliament and police are widely viewed as tainted by graft.

For now, the standoff between security forces and students underscores a broader frustration with a political elite seen as detached from the struggles of the country’s 280 million people.