Indonesian students rally in Jakarta over forest fire haze and rising prices
Protesters urged the government to declare the Sumatra and Kalimantan fires a national disaster and criticised subsidy cuts.
Students and civil society groups rallied in Jakarta on Wednesday (Oct 28) against the government's handling of forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, rising living costs and subsidy cuts, The Straits Times and CNA reported. The protest was timed for Indonesia's Youth Pledge Day.
The two outlets gave different accounts of the turnout and of how far protesters got. The Straits Times said thousands reached the Bundaran HI roundabout by splitting into separate groups. Police blockades had stopped earlier attempts, most recently in August. CNA put the number at hundreds and said a heavy security presence kept students from reaching the roundabout, where they had planned to start a march to the Presidential Palace about 3km away. According to CNA, the blockade scattered students across the city, including along Jalan Thamrin and Jalan Sudirman.
Both outlets reported a call for the fires to be declared a national disaster. The Straits Times said it was the first of five demands from a group led by the University of Indonesia student association. Yuyun Santoso, 23, who travelled from Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan, told reporters: "Kalimantan has turned red. It's that bad."
CNA reported that protesters carried banners critical of President Prabowo Subianto and wanted spending on populist programmes such as his free meals scheme halted. Officials said in July the meals budget this year was 229 trillion rupiah (US$12.6 billion), down from 268 trillion rupiah. The disaster agency BNPB had expected only 491 billion rupiah for 2026, a drop of nearly 75 per cent, though its regular funding was later raised to 1.08 trillion rupiah, CNA said.
Students also objected to a decision to cut energy subsidies from 376.8 trillion rupiah this year to 261 trillion rupiah next year. Diana, 20, from the University of Indonesia, told CNA the cut came as many people were "reeling from ballooning petrol prices".
Government spokesperson Syahganda Nainggolan said the government respected the demonstrations, The Straits Times reported. He said more than 70,000 firefighting personnel had been deployed, and corporations and individuals suspected of starting fires were under investigation.
Volunteer groups, mostly women, handed out food, drinks and medical help. One volunteer, Vitri Sekarsari, 43, told The Straits Times that "tens of thousands of children are suffering from acute respiratory infections" and that food prices were weighing on mothers.
The Straits Times described the rally as largely peaceful, with occasional clashes as some protesters were blocked. CNA reported several minor scuffles at barricades that police brought under control. Smaller rallies were held in Yogyakarta, Bandung, Malang and Padang, according to The Straits Times, while CNA said protests had also taken place in haze-hit parts of Borneo and Sumatra. CNA added that Prabowo's approval ratings had fallen steadily since late last year, according to Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting surveys.
As dusk fell in Jakarta, protesters sang patriotic songs and recited the Youth Pledge.
Sources: The Straits Times, Thousands of protesters rally in Jakarta against haze, rising living costs; CNA, Indonesian students protest rising prices, government’s handling of forest fires.
