Indonesian students protest gov’t policies amid economic strain
Key takeaways
- Demonstrators are asking for lower fuel and food prices, and the cancellation of ‘wasteful’ welfare programmes.
- Demonstrators in Jakarta outlined five key demands for the government on Friday, particularly the lowering of fuel and food prices.
- They also urged the government to roll back state welfare programmes they say are expensive and “wasteful”, including Prabowo’s flagship free meals and village cooperative initiatives.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Demonstrators are asking for lower fuel and food prices, and the cancellation of ‘wasteful’ welfare programmes.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Student protesters tear down a police barricade during a rally against a fuel price hike, government inefficient spendings, and military involvement in civilian affairs in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, June 12, 2026 [Dita Alangkara/AP]By AP and Reuters Published On 12 Jun 202612 Jun 2026Some 1,500 Indonesian students have taken to the streets of the capital to protest against a series of economic policies by the government of President Prabowo Subianto, as Southeast Asia’s biggest economy faces mounting fiscal pressures amid a global supply chain crisis.
Demonstrators in Jakarta outlined five key demands for the government on Friday, particularly the lowering of fuel and food prices.