Hundreds of students took to the streets across Indonesia on Tuesday, October 20. The protests put President Prabowo Subianto under fresh pressure as he completed two years in office. Demonstrations in Jakarta and other cities showed growing public anger over the government’s handling of economic hardship and the environmental crisis.
Authorities deployed around 9,000 police officers in Jakarta, according to Reuters. Protests were also reported in Yogyakarta, Bandung, Pekanbaru and Makassar. Demonstrators and police clashed in Yogyakarta.
The students mainly protested rising living costs, devastating forest fires and alleged corruption. Students from the University of Indonesia pointed to the forest fires, a sharp stock market decline and the weakening rupiah as signs that the economy is vulnerable, Reuters reported.
Protesters want measures to ease household financial pressure and improve access to essential services, including education and healthcare. They want the forest fires declared a national disaster and companies held responsible for environmental damage. They also want stronger action against corruption, collusion and nepotism, and greater protection for freedom of expression.
Spending priorities are another concern, especially Prabowo’s flagship free meals programme. In June, students protested a fuel price increase and called for a rethink of the scheme because of its cost.
The forest fires have been a major trigger. Fires across parts of Sumatra, Kalimantan and Papua have caused toxic haze, disrupted transport and forced schools to close. Smoke has spread to Singapore and Malaysia. Dry conditions linked to El Niño have made the fires worse, and the burning of peatlands has made them harder to contain. Environmental groups have raised concerns about forest clearance for palm oil plantations and the need to hold companies accountable.
A day before the protests, Prabowo directed officials to step up aerial firefighting and improve coordination among security forces, forestry authorities and local communities. Authorities are investigating 98 reports linked to forest and land fires. On Tuesday, Greenpeace Indonesia activists climbed Jakarta’s Welcome Monument and displayed a banner calling for action on the climate crisis and lower living costs.
This is not the first wave of unrest. In August 2026, demonstrators marked a year since the anti-government protests of 2025. Unrest followed in Jakarta, and more than 300 people were detained, Reuters reported. The 2025 protests spread nationwide after a motorcycle ride-hailing driver died when an armoured police vehicle hit him during demonstrations in Jakarta. More lives were lost, and the unrest fuelled calls for police accountability.
The latest protests come as Prabowo’s approval rating has dropped. Reuters reported it fell to 44.5 per cent in October, from 81.2 per cent in November 2025.
Source: Business Standard
