Indonesian Students Rally Against President Over Rising Costs And Militarization Concerns

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

JAKARTA (Worthy News) – Thousands of Indonesian students rallied in Jakarta on Friday to protest President Prabowo Subianto’s spending priorities and what critics describe as the growing militarization of civilian life amid mounting economic hardship and rising fuel prices, witnesses told Worthy News.

Footage recorded by a Christian doctor and shared with Worthy News showed students carrying flags and preparing to march through Indonesia’s capital, while police and military personnel attempted to prevent demonstrators from reaching areas near the presidential palace.

Scuffles broke out after some demonstrators attempted to push through police lines and metal barricades, while stones were thrown toward security forces, Worthy News observed.

Authorities deployed more than 4,000 security personnel, including about 500 members of the Indonesian military, to monitor the demonstration and enforce traffic restrictions, witnesses said.

STUDENTS VOICE DEMANDS

The demonstration, dubbed “Indonesia Heading for Bankruptcy,” followed a sharp increase in the price of non-subsidized gasoline this week, a move protesters said would further burden families already struggling with rising living costs.

Students carried banners reading “Cancel the Fuel Price Hike” and “Wall of Shame,” while criticizing what they described as government waste and misplaced spending priorities.

Organizers said demonstrators presented several demands, including lower fuel and food prices, an end to what they called wasteful spending, and a review of major government programs.

Among the main targets was Prabowo’s flagship free-meals program, which aims to provide food to millions of schoolchildren and pregnant women nationwide.

ECONOMIC PRESSURE GROWS

Critics argue the initiative places additional pressure on state finances and has faced questions over implementation after reports of food-poisoning incidents involving some meals distributed under the program.

“We want to show that things are not okay,” student leader Yatalathof Ma’shum Imawan told reporters. “We don’t want Indonesia to truly go bankrupt, but these behaviors prove that Indonesia will go bankrupt economically, democratically, and morally.”

Some motorcycle taxi drivers expressed support for the protesters, honking their horns and shouting complaints about rising fuel costs and worsening economic conditions.

Demonstrators condemned what they called “misplaced government priorities” at a time when many Indonesians are facing higher living costs and shrinking job opportunities.

CONCERNS OVER MILITARY ROLE

Additionally, protesters warned that increasing military involvement in public life could undermine democratic reforms achieved since the fall of former President Suharto’s authoritarian government in 1998 in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation.

Prabowo, a former general, was elected president in February 2024 and took office in October that year, succeeding President Joko Widodo after winning the election by a wide margin.

Friday’s rally was among the most significant student-led protests against the Prabowo administration since nationwide demonstrations in 2025 over economic conditions, government spending, and lawmakers’ privileges.

The government has defended its policies, saying social assistance and development programs remain necessary despite growing pressure on public finances.

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