Intending to Help Protesters, Bambang Kurniawan Dies After Allegedly Being Beaten by Mob

The mob violence that erupted after the 27 August 2026 demonstration has left a trail of grief. This follows the death of mirror seller Bambang Kurniawan (60), who was allegedly beaten by a mob of rioters in the Pejompongan area of Central Jakarta.

Bambang’s wife, Sudarsih, recounted that she and her husband were still selling mirrors until Thursday afternoon. The two agreed to close the shop early because of the demonstration.

“We closed the shop at 6 p.m. But because I saw the crowd was already large, I told him, ‘The crowd is already big,’ and I said to close. He looked and said, ‘Oh, okay, close.’ So I closed it,” Sudarsih told reporters on Friday (28/8/2026).

Later, Bambang and his child accompanied a neighbour to seek treatment at Pelni Hospital. Bambang and his child then returned home around 8.30–9 p.m. Western Indonesia Time. Bambang told his wife he wanted to watch the demonstration. Sudarsih said Bambang usually helped protesters as best he could.

“Not long after it was safe (the crowd of protesters had thinned), he went out. I thought because our child was with him, I didn’t stop him. I just let him go because his reason was that he usually does this whenever something like this happens, and it’s not the first time. He just watches. Sometimes he helps by pouring water for people to wash their faces (to reduce the effects of tear gas),” Sudarsih said.

Sudarsih allowed Bambang to go. Hours passed and Bambang did not return. Sudarsih then went looking for her husband around 1.30 a.m.

“I hoped he was still chatting with his friends. I went there, and my child had said, ‘Mum, I was just there but he wasn’t there.’ Well, maybe he had hidden somewhere and was now chatting there, we didn’t know. I still hoped to find him, but when I went there he wasn’t there,” Sudarsih said.

Sudarsih returned home to rest briefly. Around 2.30 a.m., Sudarsih woke up because her husband was not lying asleep beside her. At that moment, Sudarsih’s mind was in turmoil. Moreover, her child had also not found his father.

“He (Sudarsih’s child) asked me, ‘Mum, is Dad already home?’ ‘No, he hasn’t come home yet,’ I said. Well, I knew for certain that he had truly become a victim around 4 a.m. At 4 a.m. I was finally certain that he (Bambang) had not been found,” Sudarsih said.