The omnibus Job Creation Law, which aims to disentangle the complex web of investment business and create more job opportunities, has waged protests in many parts of the country. Thousands of students and labor union members resist the “big bang” law, saying it will decouple the labor rights and harm the environment. The protests have turned violent, with demonstrators throwing rocks, burning Transjakarta shelters and public facilities, while police have fired tear gas to “tame” protesters. Two weeks since the bill was approved, the protests and violence have continued. People protest for a lot of reasons, but we don’t know if they, especially the violent ones, lead to policy changes. From research on social psychology, protests are linked to several variables such as grievances, efficacy, politicized identity and anger. Research from Stekelenbur...

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