Indonesia fires officer involved in killing of delivery driver as protesters vow to sweep the 'state's dirt' away

Indonesian authorities seeking to quell nationwide anti-government protests on Wednesday fired a police officer involved in the death of a bystander during unrest in Jakarta last week.

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities seeking to quell nationwide anti-government protests on Wednesday fired a police officer involved in the death of a bystander during unrest in Jakarta last week.

Led by students, workers and rights groups, protests since last week over police violence and state spending priorities have spread across the world’s third-largest democracy after a police vehicle hit and killed a motorcycle taxi driver.

Ten people have died in the demonstrations, which have set off some looting and rioting and been met with tear gas and rubber bullets.

National police spokesperson Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko said Cosmas Kaju Gae, one of seven detained officers from the vehicle that ran over the motorcycle driver, was “dishonorably” fired after an ethics hearing due to “unprofessionalism.”

Cosmas, who had been in the front seat of the vehicle, was seen in tears in a video of the hearing, saying he never intended to kill anyone and was only doing his job.