Jakarta deploys thousands of police as students protest Prabowo

INDONESIAN authorities will deploy thousands of police and soldiers ahead of a planned protest by students, who are angry at the rising cost of living and want President Prabowo Subianto to rein in big-ticket spending and revive the economy.

Some 4,151 joint security personnel, including 500 soldiers, will help manage the planned student protest, Jakarta police spokesman Budi Hermanto said, urging participants to avoid vandalism and refrain from carrying weapons. Traffic diversions and road closures may be imposed depending on the crowd size and conditions on the ground, he said.

The deployment underscores government concerns about the potential for large-scale protests, even though civil and labour groups are not expected to participate.

Violent livelihood demonstrations last year led Prabowo to fire his finance minister, and massive protests in 2024, just before Prabowo took power, led parliament to scrap plans to revise election laws.

“The protests last year began when the public saw the inequality between them and public officials, how much wealth public officials have,” said Wana Alamsyah, head of the Law and Investigation Division at Indonesia Corruption Watch, noting that if there is an economic crisis, officials could take pay cuts. “They prefer to increase the fuel price for example and so on, rather than cutting their wages.”

Students from several campuses across Greater Jakarta were invited to join Friday’s demonstration, according to BEM UI, the University of Indonesia’s student executive body. They are set to gather at around 1 pm Jakarta time by the landmark Plaza Indonesia traffic circle about 3 km from the State Palace. 

Several of the protesters’ demands focus on the economy, aligning with foreign investors who have pulled out funds and driven down both stocks and the rupiah, Asia’s worst-performing currency this year.

Authorities have sought to stem the outflows, including with a surprise interest-rate hike this week, but the students say the government is still on the wrong track.

“Indonesia’s economy has deteriorated, but the government has unfortunately only made matters worse,” BEM UI said in a statement ahead of the demonstration, mentioning concerns about the apparent erosion of the the central bank’s autonomy.

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“Fiscal policy is leaking, Bank Indonesia’s independence is being stripped away, and the government’s communication with the public remains far from adequate.”

Civil society groups indicated earlier this week that they won’t join the students, for now. And Said Iqbal, who is the head of one of Indonesia’s largest labour groups and was recently appointed as a special presidential staff adviser on labour affairs and worker welfare, separately said there were no plans for workers to take part in Friday’s protest.

But observers say students are not the only ones concerned at the economy or Prabowo’s policies. 

“Government spending is being done without any calculation or information details for the people,” said ICW’s Wana, citing anger over the rise in non-subsidised fuel prices, and the decline in the rupiah. 

The students’ five demands include that the government “stop wasting” the state budget and lower the prices of basic goods and fuel. Indonesia has maintained the price of subsidised fuel despite rising energy prices due to the war on Iran, but this week raised the price of non-subsidised petrol product, hurting middle class Indonesians.

They also want an end to the controversial free meals programme and an associated Red-and-White Village Cooperatives scheme. The meals are aimed at alleviating poverty and malnutrition, but Prabowo recently fired the head of the programme amid a graft probe.

Prabowo, a former general, should also “stop militarism in civilian affairs” and acknowledge the government’s mistakes, according to BEM UI. BLOOMBERG