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Growing discontent spills into streets as Prabowo marks two years in office

Demonstrations took place in Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Bandung in West Java, with protesters criticizing government policies they said had failed to address pressing public concerns during Prabowo’s two years in office.

Yerica Lai and Adi Marsiela (The Jakarta Post)
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Jakarta/Bandung
Wed, October 21, 2026

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Protesters rally against the government’s sluggish handling of forest and peatland fires and some President Prabowo Subianto’s welfare policies, during a protest on the second anniversary of Prabowo's administration on Jl. Asia Africa in Bandung, West Java, on Oct. 20, 2026. 
Protesters rally against the government’s sluggish handling of forest and peatland fires and some President Prabowo Subianto’s welfare policies, during a protest on the second anniversary of Prabowo's administration on Jl. Asia Africa in Bandung, West Java, on Oct. 20, 2026. (JP/Adi Marsiela)

S

tudents and civil society groups took to the streets in major Indonesian cities on Tuesday to protest President Prabowo Subianto’s policies, turning the second anniversary of his administration into a show of public discontent over economic pressures, environmental crises and civil liberties.

Demonstrations took place in Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Bandung in West Java, with protesters criticizing government policies they said had failed to address pressing public concerns during Prabowo’s two years in office.

In Jakarta, hundreds of students from several universities rallied around the Tugu Tani monument, voicing anger over the rising cost of living and the government’s handling of forest and peatland fires and toxic haze that have disrupted flights, forced school closures and raised public health concerns.

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Indonesia has struggled to contain the fires in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Papua amid an unusually severe El Niño-driven dry season. Toxic haze from the fires has also spread into neighboring Singapore and Malaysia.

Protesters in Jakarta called on the government to declare the prolonged forest fires a national disaster, prosecute companies responsible for environmental damage, improve economic policies, protect freedom of expression, tackle corruption and make education and health care more affordable.

Earlier on Tuesday, activists from environmental group Greenpeace Indonesia climbed the Welcome Monument at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta to unfurl giant banners protesting what they described as the government’s failure to address persistent wildfires.

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Greenpeace Indonesia activists unfurl a protest banner on Oct. 20 atop the Welcome Statue (Patung Selamat Datang) at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta. (Greenpeace Indonesia/-)

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