Thousands Protest in Jakarta Over Wildfires, Living Costs and Corruption
We have come today so that the Indonesian people know that Kalimantan is still burning,
Yuyun Santoso, a student at the Islamic State University Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan, told reporters at Bundaran HI.
Thousands of protesters flooded Jakarta’s iconic Bundaran HI roundabout on Oct. 28 to demand government action against persistent forest fires, rising living costs, and alleged corruption, reported. The demonstrations coincided with Indonesia’s Youth Pledge Day, uniting university students and civil society groups under the hashtag #IndonesiaSadar, or #IndonesiaAwake. Protesters carried banners and used the three-fingered salute from the Hunger Games films as a symbol of resistance, echoing similar demonstrations in Thailand and Myanmar.
The protests spread beyond the capital. According to Tempo, Yogyakarta police reported clashes near Malioboro during a nighttime demonstration that involved stone-throwing and firecrackers. Smaller rallies also took place in Bandung, Malang, and Padang. In Jakarta, the unrest disrupted public transit as the city’s bus rapid transit system, Transjakarta, temporarily suspended four service routes—including 6B, 6A, 1P, and 1B—and diverted others to ensure passenger safety, Ayu Wardhani, head of Transjakarta’s public relations and CSR department, stated in an announcement cited by Tempo.
Students Demand National Disaster Status for Forest Fires
The coalition, spearheaded by the University of Indonesia student association, presented five core demands, led by a call for the government to officially declare the forest and peatland fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan a national disaster. Protesters argued that smoke from the fires has caused widespread illness, with tens of thousands of children suffering from acute respiratory infections. Demonstrators also decried what they described as a shrinking civic space under President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, marching without their usual varsity jackets while voicing frustration over government policies favoring political elites.
Government spokesperson Syahganda Nainggolan stated on Oct. 28 that the administration respects the demonstrations as a normal part of nurturing democracy. He added that authorities have deployed over 70,000 firefighting personnel and initiated legal actions against individuals and corporations suspected of starting the blazes. The administration has repeatedly declined to declare a national disaster, maintaining that it has the situation under control.
Volunteers Mobilize as Police Enforce Security
Civilian volunteers, predominantly women, joined the demonstration to support participants by distributing snacks, water, trash bags, and medical assistance. Vitri Sekarsari, a 43-year-old volunteer, said that participants coordinated mostly through social media and online delivery apps to send supplies directly to the site.
Ahead of the rallies, Indonesian National Police Chief General Suyudi Ario Seto stated at police headquarters that law enforcement would maintain a preventive and preemptive approach, prioritizing humane crowd control. Police Public Relations Division Head Inspector General Eddizon Isir added that officers were deployed to manage traffic and assist demonstrators while enforcing public order under Law No. 9 of 1998 on freedom of expression.