Indonesian Students Rally Against Wasteful Spending and Rising Fuel Costs
Hundreds of university students turned out in the capital on Friday, demanding that President Prabowo Subianto stop what they call excessive state spending and withdraw his free‑meals programme, a flagship of his 2024 campaign that has suffered from mass food‑poisoning incidents and corruption accusations.
They also voicing anger over a recent 30‑plus per‑cent hike in gasoline and diesel prices announced by state oil company Pertamina, warning that it will disproportionately hit the middle‑class in a country already ad‑ting to a falling rupiah.
Police tried to block the march towards the Hotel Indonesia roundabout, a key Jakarta landmark, but demonstrators pushed through the barricades, shouting slogans such as "Fuel prices are going up, and our lives are getting harder" and challenging the government’s willingness to heed student voices.
Pictures show police shields and the frustration of the crowd, with some objects tossed in protest. Nevertheless, there were no immediate reports of injuries.
The hashtag #MenujuIndonesiaBangkrut, meaning "Towards Bankrupt Indonesia," trended on social media, encapsulating the current public frustration rooted in alleged financial mismanagement.
The protests arrive less than a year into Prabowo’s tenure, following the violent anti‑government demonstrations in August that highlighted concerns over elite domination and state mismanagement. The free‑meals programme, costing an estimated $28 bn annually, aims to reduce child malnutrition and stimulate the economy, but recent scandals led to the dismissal of the agency head.
Student voices highlight that corruption and food safety scandals surrounding the free‑meals programme have been ignored by the leadership. "We have been calling for it to stop since the start," noted one university student, Rina.
