Greenpeace activists scale Jakarta monument to demand stronger climate action
Greenpeace Indonesia activists climbed the Welcome Monument in central Jakarta, unfurling banners linking the climate crisis to rising living costs, ecological disasters and economic insecurity on the second anniversary of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration.
- Greenpeace Indonesia linked worsening climate-related disasters to public health risks, economic insecurity and rising food prices.
- Jakarta officials recognised the right to peaceful protest but urged activists to prioritise safety and maintain public order.
- Conflicting media reports placed the removal of the protest banners at different times on Tuesday morning.
Greenpeace Indonesia activists unfurled large yellow banners and displayed protest posters at the Welcome Monument in the Bundaran Hotel Indonesia (HI) roundabout in central Jakarta on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, calling on the government to take stronger action on the climate crisis and ecological disasters.
The peaceful protest coincided with the second anniversary of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka taking office.
According to Indonesian news outlets, activists climbed onto the landmark and displayed banners and posters carrying messages about climate change, forest fires, haze, economic hardship and the government’s response to environmental crises.
One banner read, “Address the climate crisis, lower the cost of living”, while another asked, “Disasters are getting worse, life is getting harder, what is the government doing?”
Other posters carried the messages “Address the crisis, not silence criticism” and “The elite feast, the people suffer”. Signs displayed at the monument also included “Haze & Prabowo’s Regime = National Disaster” and “No Progress Without Protest”.
Greenpeace said on Instagram that it had organised a peaceful protest at Bundaran HI to urge the government to take the worsening climate crisis more seriously, adding that smoke remained visible in the sky.
Greenpeace says environmental damage is worsening economic pressures
Jeanny Sirait, Greenpeace Indonesia’s climate justice campaigner, said climate-related disasters were threatening public safety and health while also damaging livelihoods, reducing incomes and driving up food prices.
“Prolonged haze is one clear example of how the ecological crisis burdens people’s lives, from health problems to everyday economic activity,” she said in a statement.
Jeanny said workers facing economic insecurity were among those most affected by the worsening climate crisis.
“Greenpeace Indonesia continues to amplify the voices of the public, urging the Prabowo-Gibran government to open its eyes to a climate crisis that is increasingly worsening people’s quality of life,” she said.
She added that people were facing rising living costs and uncertainty over employment, including waves of job cuts, despite the administration’s promises to prioritise job creation, food and energy security, and improved public welfare.
“Recent research findings from us show the opposite. The government has failed to provide solutions to the impacts of the climate crisis, which are increasingly being felt in everyday life,” Jeanny said.
Jakarta governor recognises right to protest but urges public order
Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung Wibowo said he respected the activists’ right to express their views but urged them to ensure their demonstration did not disrupt public order or endanger road users.
“Jakarta, or Indonesia, is a democratic country. Naturally, we respect and appreciate actions like this. But the most important thing is that they must not disturb public order,” Pramono said, according to Indonesian state news agency ANTARA.
He also expressed hope that the banners would be taken down promptly to avoid disrupting activity in the capital.
“I hope they will take the banners down soon. We must not allow public order to be disrupted,” he said.
Police appeal to activists to prioritise safety
Central Jakarta Police Chief Reynold EP Hutagalung called on the activists to come down from the monument, saying the police and military were prepared to protect them.
“We, the Central Jakarta Metropolitan Police and the Central Jakarta Military District Command, are ready to serve and protect you. Please come down and prioritise your safety,” Reynold said at the scene, according to Detik.
He also appealed to police and military personnel on the ground to ensure the activists felt safe during the operation.
“I ask the police and military personnel below to provide a sense of safety and comfort in serving and protecting them,” he said.
Detik reported that activists were still at the top of the monument at about 10.30am, while police, military personnel, firefighters and municipal public order officers remained at the site.
ANTARA, however, reported that police and firefighters had removed the banners at about 8am. The reports therefore differed on the timing and status of the banners during the morning.
Other demonstrations planned in central Jakarta
The Greenpeace protest took place on the same day that students and civil society groups were scheduled to hold demonstrations at Tugu Proklamasi and Tugu Tani, also in central Jakarta.
ANTARA reported that the demonstrations involved the University of Indonesia Student Executive Board, the All-Indonesia Student Executive Board and groups affiliated with the Komite Sadar, or Save the People’s Sovereignty Committee.
About 500 people were expected to gather in the Tugu Tani area. Their demands concerned environmental crises, corruption, freedom of expression and the high cost of public services.
