Indonesia Deploys Hundreds of Security Personnel as Students Prepare Jakarta Protests

Hundreds of Indonesian security personnel were deployed across central Jakarta on Wednesday as students prepared to stage protests against several policies of President Prabowo Subianto and his government’s handling of the wildfires burning in Sumatra and Borneo. Police and military units, along with armoured vehicles, were visible in busy parts of the capital on Wednesday morning, ahead of demonstrations planned by students from the University of Indonesia at several locations in the city.

FAKTA

• What happened: Hundreds of security personnel deployed in central Jakarta ahead of planned student protests on Wednesday, 28 October.
• Who is protesting: Students from the University of Indonesia, planning demonstrations at several spots in the capital.
• Key demands: Declare the wildfires in Sumatra and Borneo a national disaster, and halt spending on populist programmes such as the free meals scheme.
• Protest hashtag: Wednesday’s demonstrations carry the hashtag #IndonesiaAware, according to the students.
• Turnout: It remains unclear how many students will take to the streets.

Why students are taking to the streets

The students are calling on the government to declare the ongoing wildfires in Sumatra and Borneo a national disaster, and to stop spending on populist programmes including the president’s free meals scheme, among other demands. Protests have also been held in haze-stricken areas of Borneo and Sumatra, including one in Central Kalimantan last week, as smoke from the fires continues to affect large parts of the country.

The demonstrations carry the hashtag #IndonesiaAware, the students said. It is unclear how many students will take to the streets in Jakarta, but the scale of the security deployment suggests the authorities are preparing for significant crowds. A heavy police and military presence, as well as armoured vehicles, could be seen in busy parts of central Jakarta on Wednesday morning.

A president under pressure

The protests come as President Prabowo’s approval ratings have fallen steadily since late last year, according to surveys by Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting, two years into his presidency. Indonesia’s last major protest took place in August, when hundreds of people were detained, and students also held demonstrations last week.

The country has a recent history of large-scale street protests. In 2025, weeks-long nationwide protests broke out after the police killing of a motorcycle taxi driver, with several more people killed during the unrest. Wednesday’s planned demonstrations are the latest sign of public discontent over the government’s handling of the fires and its spending priorities.

What happens next

All eyes will now be on how many students turn out in Jakarta and whether the protests spread further in the haze-affected regions. The government has not publicly responded in detail to the students’ demands, and the security forces remain on alert across the capital. Further demonstrations in Borneo and Sumatra, where the wildfire crisis is most acute, would add to the pressure on the administration in the coming days.

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