Hundreds of students took to the streets in Indonesia on Tuesday to protest rising living costs, recurring forest fires and corruption, adding the country to a growing list of nations witnessing youth-led demonstrations.
Protests were reported in Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Bandung, Pekanbaru and Makassar as President Prabowo Subianto marked two years in office. Demonstrators raised concerns about the government's response to environmental problems and economic pressures affecting ordinary Indonesians.
Students demand action over wildfires and rising costs
In Jakarta, university students gathered near the Tugu Tani monument, also known as the Heroes Monument, to demand action over the government's handling of forest fires and the rising cost of living.
Recurring fires have generated toxic haze, disrupted flights, forced school closures and raised public health concerns. According to The Jakarta Post, fires in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Papua have been fuelled by dry-season conditions amid El Niño. The resulting haze has also begun spreading to neighbouring countries, including Singapore and Malaysia.
Public discontent has further increased over the clearing of forests for palm oil plantations, adding to concerns about the environmental impact of land-use practices.
A meeting was held at Merdeka Palace a day before Tuesday's demonstrations to discuss accelerating efforts to contain the fires.
In a post on X, Presidential Chief of Staff Listyo Sigit Prabowo said Subianto had instructed authorities to strengthen aerial operations and improve coordination between the armed forces, the National Police, the National Disaster Management Agency, local governments and communities.
Greenpeace activists detained during Jakarta demonstrations
Alongside the gathering near Tugu Tani, Greenpeace activists climbed the Welcome Monument at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Jakarta to protest what they described as the government's failure to tackle persistent wildfires.
One of the banners displayed by the activists read, “Take Action on the Climate Crisis, Bring Down the Cost of Living.”
Jeanny Sirait, a campaigner for the non-governmental organisation, said at least six activists had been detained by police.
Meanwhile, more than 9,000 police officers were deployed in Jakarta to manage the demonstrations, according to a Reuters report.
Videos show arson and burning of political effigies
Videos circulating on social media showed incidents of arson during Tuesday's protests in the Indonesian capital. One video appeared to show a police truck being set on fire during the demonstrations. Hindustan Times was unable to independently verify the footage.
In another incident, a demonstrator was seen setting fire to effigies of President Subianto and Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
Indonesia's history of protests
The latest demonstrations follow previous waves of unrest in Indonesia. The country witnessed its last major protest in August, when hundreds of people were detained.
Nationwide demonstrations also took place in 2025 following the killing of a motorcycle taxi driver by police. The clashes during those protests resulted in several deaths, highlighting the scale of public anger that has periodically erupted over policing and government policies.