Three drivers of app-based services cancelled her orders and, on top of that, she heard from her neighbors that a demonstration that was taking place near her apartment erupted into riots.

“It was more of a panicky situation around me. I believe it affected all of us mentally,” she said Thursday.

Madan managed to arrive safely at her apartment, although it took her much longer than usual to get there.

Activists and students took to the streets on Monday near the House of Representatives complex in Central Jakarta to protest against bills they fear could affect civil liberties, such as revisions to the Criminal Code and the recently endorsed Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Law. The protests, which lasted till Wednesday, followed large-scale nationwide protests last week.

The protests on Monday turned ugly when riots broke out in the evening, prompting security personnel to close roads and some buildings in the Senayan area. Hundreds reportedly suffered injuries and hundreds were arrested as a result of clashes between demonstrators and security forces.

Transjakarta buses halted services, and fewer drivers for taxis and ride-hailing services were available, causing fares to spike well above normal rates.

Madan said she did not always follow local news, but considering the impact of the protests, she like many others that night were glued to their phones to stay up-to-date about the latest developments.

Having only been in Indonesia for the past seven months, the 34-year-old said she turned to expat group chats to find information on places that were deemed safe and tips on what to do to during such protests.

Despite the chaos, she said she had no intentions on leaving Jakarta, with plans in place to remain in the capital for another five years for work.

Thai national Nattamon Romero, 33, a housewife who has lived with her son and husband in Jakarta for the past two years, said she was at home on Monday evening, while her husband was at work and got home later than usual because the protests caused traffic congestion.

“We didn’t expect this situation to happen. We just thought that it would be a regular student demonstration, so no one was warned,” she said.

To get around the city, Romero said that her family relied on their driver who knew what roads to avoid. As for getting around herself, she ordered an app-based vehicle, but not before assessing the situation in areas that she would visit.

Romero, who used a ride-hailing service on Wednesday to get to Pluit, North Jakarta, from her home in Kuningan, South Jakarta, said she drove by some of the protesters.

“For some reason the driver drove past the masses at the demonstration in front of the Mulia Hotel. It’s quite scary for us as a foreigner,” she said.

“For us, we also used to have big situations like this in Bangkok. When I heard the news [about the protests] I just warned my husband and myself about not passing those areas and not going to crowded places such as malls. Then everything will be fine.”

Another expat, Australian Paul Halliday, 62, who works for a contractor company in BSD in South Tangerang, Banten, said he did not encounter any troubles when the protests turned to riots on Monday as he lives in Cilandak, South Jakarta. “I was advised not to go to Senayan by my office and the Australian Embassy,” he said.

Halliday kept himself updated on local news and shared information with his friends and his office colleagues.

“I feel safe but stay out of areas that can be trouble,” he said.

The protests did not surprise him as after living in Jakarta for 29 years, he has seen worse, including the historic large-scale student demonstrations in 1998 that led to the end of Soeharto’s New Order regime.

Several foreign embassies in Jakarta have updated their websites to warn their respective citizens about the protests, which have continued to recur nationwide.

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