At least six people are dead and more than 200 are injured after protests turned violent following the announcement of Indonesia’s official presidential election results, according to the governor of Jakarta.

Supporters of the main opposition candidate Prabowo Subainto clashed with security forces and set fire to a police dormitory and vehicles in the capital, the reports. Prabowo, a former general, lost the election to incumbent President Joko Widodo, commonly known as Jokowi, but he has refuted the results since quick count results showed that Jokowi won the April election.

Prabowo said Tuesday that he will challenge the election results in the country’s courts.

Read More: Social Media Gets a Bad Rap in Elections, But Activists In Indonesia Are Using It to Boost Transparency

Dedi Prasetyo, a National Police spokesman, said protests turned violent late Tuesday and that police arrested 20 “provocateurs,” reports the . He stressed that police did not have live bullets. The city’s police spokesman said tear gas and water cannons were being used against protestors attacking with weapons such as rocks and molotov cocktails, according to the .

The reports that more than 30,000 troops have been deployed to Jakarta, and several governments offices, schools, shopping centers and businesses have been closed as a precautionary measure.

The country’s security minister says that social media will be blocked in parts of the country due to the protests, but he did not specify which locations would be affected by the restrictions, according to the Associated Press.

Protestors had started gathering outside the election commission building as of Wednesday morning, according to the . </s> The Latest: Police chief says 6 reported dead in Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The Latest on post-election protests in Indonesia (all times local):

Indonesian police say based on reports from hospitals six people have died in rioting in Jakarta a day after the presidential election results were announced.

Police chief Tito Karnavian told a news conference authorities are still investigating the causes of death and are not ruling out the involvement of third parties acting as provocateurs.

He said the information police obtained showed victims were hit by gunshots or blunt devices. Karnavian said, "This is what we have to make clear, where and why."

Supporters of former special forces general Prabowo Subianto clashed with security forces in Jakarta on Wednesday, burning vehicles and throwing rocks at police, who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.

Police have said the rioting was planned rather than spontaneous. Subianto has refused to concede defeat to President Joko Widodo in the April 17 election. He instead declared himself the winner and plans a court challenge.

Indonesia's top security minister says authorities will block access to social media in certain areas amid violent protests in the capital Jakarta by supporters of the losing presidential candidate.

Wiranto, who uses a single name, didn't specify which areas would be subject to the restrictions in the televised news conference.

Supporters of Prabowo Subianto, who was defeated by President Joko Widodo in the April 17 election, clashed with security forces in Jakarta on Wednesday, burning vehicles and throwing rocks at police, who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.

Police have said the rioting was planned rather than a spontaneous outburst. The official election results were announced on Tuesday and Subianto, a former general, has refused to concede defeat, instead declaring himself the winner and planning a court challenge.

Supporters of an unsuccessful presidential candidate clashed with security forces and set fire to a police dormitory in the Indonesian capital after the release of official election results.

National Police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo said protests turned violent late Tuesday and continued during the night. He said Wednesday that dozens of people were detained.

KompasTV showed protesters throwing rocks, a paramilitary police dormitory on fire, and hundreds of riot police in a central neighborhood of the city.

Indonesia's Election Commission on Tuesday said President Joko Widodo had won a second term with 55.5% of the vote in the April 17 election. His opponent, former general Prabowo Subianto, has refused to accept the results and declared himself the winner. </s> At least 20 people in Indonesia were arrested by the police for allegedly provoking riots in Jakarta following official results of the recent election that showed President Joko Widodo had been re-elected.

The governor of the Indonesian capital, Anies Baswedan confirmed on Tuesday, May 21 that "As per 9 o'clock this morning, there were 200 people hurt being brought to five hospitals" and "The number of people dead was six."

Television footages showed dozens of protesters dancing in the street in the Tanah Abang district of central Jakarta. As per the Reuters, a separate crowd of the protesters in front of the election supervisory body threw rocks at police.

The General Election Commission (KPU) on Tuesday confirmed unofficial counts by private pollsters in the April 17 election, which gave Widodo a 55.5% share of votes against 44.5% for his opponent, former general Prabowo Subianto.

Widodo won more than 85 million votes of a total of 154 million casts in the world's third-largest democracy, but Prabowo told reporters he believed there had been widespread cheating and about 1,000 supporters gathered in Jakarta a day earlier.

On Monday, an election supervisory agency dismissed claims of systematic cheating, citing a lack of evidence. Independent observers have said the poll was free and fair.

Protests that started peacefully on Tuesday turned violent in the evening, forcing police to fire tear gas to disperse the crowd. Cars parked near an apartment housing the police's mobile brigade were set ablaze, media reported.

"As of now, police have arrested more than 20 people we thought were the provocateurs and who did other crimes," said police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo.

Prasetyo said police were checking on reports of casualties but stressed that security officers on the ground, which include military personnel, were not equipped with live bullets.

News website Tirto reported a man died of bullet wounds in Tanah Abang, quoting a doctor at a hospital near the site.

Indonesian authorities have said 40,000 police and army personnel were on duty across Jakarta in a bid to maintain security. </s> Vehicles set alight in Jakarta after supporters of losing candidate take to the streets

This article is more than 3 months old

This article is more than 3 months old

Six people died and more than 200 were injured in the Indonesian capital Jakarta after protesters clashed with security forces and set fire to a police dormitory and vehicles, officials have said.

Protests by supporters of an unsuccessful presidential candidate that had ended peacefully on Tuesday afternoon resumed and turned violent late on Tuesday and continued through the night, said the national police spokesman, Dedi Prasetyo. Police said they had arrested 20 “provocateurs”.

Several thousand demonstrators gathered to protest the results , in an area that was in a total security lockdown. Central Jakarta, usually bustling and full of traffic was eerily quiet by the evening.

Behind reams of barbed wire that separated protesters from a heavy military and police presence, some demonstrators held flowers and signs highlighting the deaths of rioters earlier today.

The Jakarta governor, Anies Baswedan, said hospitals were conducting postmortems to determine the causes of the deaths.

Authorities were still investigating and were not willing to rule out the involvement of “third-party provocateurs”, said another police official.

Jakarta has been on edge in recent days amid simmering tensions in the aftermath of April’s presidential election. Official results on Tuesday confirmed the incumbent, President Joko Widodo, had won a second term with 55.5% of the vote.

His opponent, the fiery ex-special forces commander Prabowo Subianto, has refused to accept the result, alleging the poll was marred by widespread fraud – a claim his team has yet to produce compelling evidence to support.

Indonesian troops on alert as Widodo wins more than half of votes Read more

Indonesia’s security minister, Wiranto, said authorities would restrict access to social media in certain areas to prevent the spread of fake news.

In a press conference this afternoon, Prabowo Subianto denounced the clashes and urged his supporters to protest peacefully.

“We are peaceful, not treasonous,” said Rusli, a 46-year-old Jakarta resident, and Prabowo supporter who attended the rally, “The voting data has been manipulated and our the rights of our voices has been diminished. We want justice.”

Indonesia’s Kompas TV showed protesters throwing rocks, a paramilitary police dormitory on fire, and hundreds of riot police in a central Jakarta neighbourhood. One man reportedly died after sustaining a gunshot wound in the melee, according to Tirto.id, an Indonesian news website.

Prasetyo said police were checking on reports of casualties, but stressed that security officers on the ground, which include military personnel, were not equipped with live bullets.

A police spokesman said police used teargas and water cannon against protesters who threw rocks, molotov cocktails and burning projectiles.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Cars burned by protesters in Jakarta. Photograph: Bay Ismoyo/AFP/Getty Images

The opposition said on Tuesday it would contest the result in court, a repeat move of Prabowo’s unsuccessful bid for president in 2014.

In recent weeks, key figures in the Prabowo camp have called for “people power” as a response to the electoral outcome, with at least two associated figures facing treason charges as a result.

More than 30,000 troops have been deployed to secure the Indonesian capital ahead of a planned protest, with some government offices and schools closed as a precaution.

A major commuter train station in the area was shut temporarily, and roads blocked off in parts of the sprawling city. Some shopping malls, businesses and schools were also closed.

Tensions have been exacerbated by a string of recent arrests of terrorist suspects, who police say had planned to create chaos by bombing the post-election protests.

Police on Tuesday arrested a former general for allegedly smuggling weapons to the protest, and authorities confiscated molotov cocktails from one minibus of Prabowo supporters travelling to the capital from Java.

As of Wednesday morning, protesters had started to gather outside the building of the elections supervisory agency. </s> Six people died in civil unrest that gripped parts of Jakarta on Tuesday night after the election commission confirmed that President Joko Widodo won last month's election, the governor of the Indonesian capital said.

Protests on Tuesday by supporters of Widodo's challenger for the presidency, former general Prabowo Subianto, started peacefully but turned violent in the evening, forcing police to fire tear gas to disperse the crowd.

"As per 9 o'clock this morning, there were 200 people hurt being brought to five hospitals," Gov. Anies Baswedan told broadcaster TVOne. "The number of people dead was six."

He said hospitals were conducting post-mortems to determine the cause of the deaths.

Hundreds of protesters were still locked in a tense stand-off with police in central Jakarta on Wednesday after a night of violence. Television footage showed smoke billowing from behind dozens of protesters in streets of the Tanah Abang district, with some throwing firecrackers and tearing down public fences.

News agency Antara reported that a small number of protesters had attempted to storm a nearby police station and were using tables as barricades.

Several office buildings and embassies in downtown Jakarta were closed on Wednesday, as were train stations in the area.

A separate crowd in front of the election supervisory body threw rocks and firecrackers at police around dawn, and dozens of chanting protesters joined them during the morning.

Indonesia's top security minister, meanwhile, said authorities will block access to social media in certain areas amid violent protests in the capital Jakarta by supporters of the losing presidential candidate.

Wiranto, who uses a single name, didn't specify which areas would be subject to the restrictions in the televised news conference.

Hundreds of police in riot gear blocked the usually busy Sarinah intersection to hold back a crowd they said was expected to swell further in the afternoon.

"We will keep going with these protests until he (Widodo) falls," said Afi Sikumbang, 58, a Prabowo supporter.

The General Election Commission (KPU) on Tuesday confirmed unofficial counts by private pollsters in the April 17 election, which gave Widodo a 55.5 per cent share of votes against 44.5 per cent for Prabowo.

Widodo won more than 85 million votes of a total of 154 million cast in the world's third-largest democracy, but Prabowo told reporters he believed there had been widespread cheating.

The retired general pledged he would "continue to make legal efforts in line with the constitution to defend the mandate of the people," with his legal director stating the campaign planned to contest the result in the Constitutional Court.

On Monday, an election supervisory agency dismissed claims of systematic cheating, citing a lack of evidence. Independent observers have said the poll was free and fair.

Widodo was congratulated for winning the election by former president and Democratic Party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is part of the coalition backing Prabowo.

The National Mandate Party (PAN), which is also part of the Prabowo coalition, has also acknowledged the results of the election, which are being rejected by Prabowo's Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra).

Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko told reporters on Wednesday he believed there was "a systematic effort by a certain group, outside of the terrorist group, that is riding on the situation to muddy the situation," adding that authorities have seized two pistols from people involved in riots.

"We know who is behind this, it is a matter of time," he said, adding that security was under control.

Police spokesperson Dedi Prasetyo told Reuters on Wednesday that Indonesian police had arrested at least 20 people for provoking the riots and were checking on reports of casualties.

He stressed that security officers on the ground, which include military personnel, were not equipped with live bullets.

News website Tirto reported a man died of bullet wounds in Tanah Abang, quoting a doctor at a hospital near the site.

Indonesian authorities say 40,000 police and army personnel are on duty across Jakarta to maintain security.

Australia, the United States, and Britain issued travel advisories warning of an increased risk of violence across Indonesia and advising citizens to stay away from protests. Canadian travellers are advised to "exercise a high degree of caution" in the country because of "political and social tensions and the threat of terrorism throughout the country." </s> JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Supporters of an unsuccessful presidential candidate clashed with security forces and set fire to a police dormitory and vehicles in the Indonesian capital on Wednesday after the release of official election results.

National Police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo said protests turned violent late Tuesday and continued through the night. He said Wednesday that dozens of people were detained.

KompasTV showed protesters throwing rocks, a paramilitary police dormitory on fire, and hundreds of riot police in a central neighborhood of the city.

Indonesia’s Election Commission on Tuesday said President Joko Widodo had won a second term with 55.5% of the vote in the April 17 election.

His opponent, former general Prabowo Subianto, has refused to accept the results and declared himself the winner. His campaign plans to challenge the election in the Constitutional Court. They allege massive fraud but have provided no credible evidence.

Jakarta police spokesman Argo Yuwono said police used tear gas and water cannon against protesters who threw rocks, molotov cocktails and burning projectiles. </s> JAKARTA, Indonesia — Supporters of an unsuccessful presidential candidate clashed with security forces and set fire to a police dormitory and vehicles in the Indonesian capital on Wednesday after the release of official election results.

National Police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo said protests turned violent late Tuesday and continued through the night. He said Wednesday that dozens of people were detained.

KompasTV showed protesters throwing rocks, a paramilitary police dormitory on fire, and hundreds of riot police in a central neighborhood of the city.

Indonesia's Election Commission on Tuesday said President Joko Widodo had won a second term with 55.5% of the vote in the April 17 election.

His opponent, former general Prabowo Subianto, has refused to accept the results and declared himself the winner. His campaign plans to challenge the election in the Constitutional Court. They allege massive fraud but have provided no credible evidence.

Jakarta police spokesman Argo Yuwono said police used tear gas and water cannon against protesters who threw rocks, molotov cocktails and burning projectiles. </s> Protests in the streets of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, turned violent on Tuesday night, with police reportedly using tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators who had set fire to vehicles and a police dormitory.

Anies Baswedan, the govenor of Jakarta, was quoted by local media as saying that six people had been killed and 200 injured in the unrest. There has not yet been official confirmation from police.

President Joko Widodo said on Wednesday that authorities have the volatile situation under control. Flanked by the military chief and other top leaders, Widodo said: "I will work together with anyone to advance this country, but I will not tolerate anyone who disrupts the security, democratic processes and unity of our beloved nation."

"These protests do not come out of the blue," Felix Heiduk, an Indonesia expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) told DW. "They have to be understood in the context of growing polarization in Indonesian society over the past five years," he added.

The protests began Tuesday afternoon, when thousands of supporters of Prabowo Subianto gathered outside the headquarters of the Indonesian election commission in Jakarta after official election results were released confirming the victory of Subianto's rival, Joko Widodo.

Indonesian National Police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo said clashes with police began Tuesday night and continued through into Wednesday morning, adding that at least 20 people had been arrested.

Images broadcast on Indonesian television and social media showed demonstrators throwing flaming objects at riot police as smoke filled the air. As of mid-morning on Wednesday, live broadcasts showed demonstrators still on the streets of Jakarta.

Indonesian police said they had deployed more than 30,000 police across Jakarta in anticipation of violent protests. The country's security minister said the government will also restrict access to social media to prevent the spread of fake news. "To avoid provocations, the spread of fake news through the community, we will limit access to certain features on social media," said Wiranto, who goes by one name.

The initial protest reportedly ended peacefully, but tensions between police and demonstrators escalated after demonstrators refused to leave the area around the election headquarters and began throwing objects at security forces.

Prabowo Subianto's supporters accuse President Widodo's campaign of electoral fraud. Subianto has refused to accept the election results, and has declared himself the winner of presidential election that was held on April 17.

"The inconsistency is reflected in the ambiguous step between encouraging people to take to the streets and denying that the rioters were not Prabowo's supporters," Arif Susanto, a political expert at Exposit Strategic in Jakarta, told DW. "It's also evident in Prabowo not trusting the constitutional court but wanting to contest the election results in the court," he added. "This is the political expression of anxiety in his elite circle."

According to the Indonesian Election Commission, Widodo won the election by a margin of about 10%. Prabowo's campaign has said they will challenge the election results in Indonesia's constitutional court, although they have provided no evidence to back up their claims.

Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here. </s> Several thousand people rallied in support of Subianto near the election supervisory agency office in the heart of the capital Jakarta on Tuesday.

[JAKARTA] Indonesian police fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators in downtown Jakarta early Wednesday after a rally opposed to President Joko Widodo's re-election, an AFP reporter said.

The country's election commission on Tuesday released official results that confirmed Mr Joko, 57, had beaten retired military general Prabowo Subianto for the presidency in a poll held on April 17.

Mr Prabowo has said he would challenge the results in court, and warned that his claims of widespread cheating could spark street protests.

Several thousand people rallied in support of Subianto near the election supervisory agency office in the heart of the capital Jakarta on Tuesday.

The protest ended peacefully, but police in riot gear later fired tear gas at some demonstrators who refused to leave the area and hurled fireworks and other objects at police.

Earlier, some protesters had set market stalls on fire.

It was not immediately clear if any demonstrators or police were injured in the clash.

More than 30,000 troops were deployed across the capital in anticipation of protests after the official election results were published.

Tensions have also spiked since police said last week that they had arrested dozens of Islamic State-linked terror suspects who had planned to cause chaos by bombing post-election protests.

Last month, a record 245,000 candidates ran for public office in Indonesia's elections, from the presidency and parliamentary seats to local positions - the first time all were held on the same day.
Six people die and more than 200 are injured in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, after protesters of the announced results of the presidential election clash with security forces and set fire to a police dormitory and vehicles.