Viral Video of Matraman Residents Targeted with Fireworks by Unknown Persons, Suspected of Inciting Brawl

JAKARTA - A group of residents who were relaxing in front of their homes became targets of fireworks thrown by unidentified individuals in the Matraman area, East Jakarta, in the early hours of Wednesday (25/3/2026). The incident was recorded in a video uploaded by the Instagram account @info.jakartatimurr. In the footage, residents can be seen moving away to avoid the sparks after the fireworks were thrown towards them. “Someone is suspected of seeking trouble by lighting firecrackers and directing them at the RW 05 officials in the Kayumanis area,” stated the caption accompanying the post. The initially calm situation turned into panic when a barrage of fireworks shot towards the residents. The Matraman Police Chief, Kompol Suripno, confirmed the fireworks-throwing incident. He said that the police had visited the location to follow up on residents’ reports. According to Suripno, when officers arrived at the scene, the group of perpetrators had already fled, so no one had been apprehended. “It happened yesterday, we’ve followed up, they all fled (when we arrived),” Suripno explained when contacted on Thursday (26/3/2026). “The motive is to find opponents for a brawl. Let’s all together maintain our neighbourhood, the role of RT/RW should also be active,” he added. The police urged residents to increase their vigilance, especially at night into the early hours, and to report any suspicious activities in the surrounding area immediately.