JAKARTA, Oct 28 — Hundreds of Indonesian security personnel were deployed today ahead of planned student protests against several policies of President Prabowo Subianto and his government's handling of forest fires.
Students from the University of Indonesia said they planned to stage demonstrations at several locations across the capital, Jakarta.
They are calling on the government to declare the ongoing wildfires in Sumatra and Borneo a national disaster and halt spending on populist programmes, including Prabowo's free meals scheme, among other demands.
The students said Wednesday's protests would be held under the hashtag #IndonesiaAware.
It remains unclear how many students will take to the streets.
A heavy police and military presence, along with armoured vehicles, was visible in busy areas of central Jakarta this morning.
Protests have also taken place in haze-stricken areas of Borneo and Sumatra, including a demonstration in Central Kalimantan last week.
Prabowo's approval ratings have steadily declined since late last year, according to surveys by Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC), two years into his presidency.
Indonesia's last major protest took place in August, when hundreds of people were detained. Students also held demonstrations last week.
In 2025, weeks of nationwide protests erupted in Indonesia following the police killing of a motorcycle taxi driver, with several more people killed during the unrest.
