Indonesian students issue five demands at protest marking Prabowo-Gibran government’s second anniversary

Indonesian students and civil society groups staged a protest at Tugu Tani in central Jakarta on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, calling for action on forest and land fires, economic inequality, civil liberties, corruption and education costs as President Prabowo Subianto and Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka marked two years in office.

The demonstration, involving the University of Indonesia Student Executive Board (BEM UI) and students from other universities, began at about 3.10pm local time and ended with participants dispersing at around 6.40pm, according to Indonesian news outlet Kumparan.

BEM UI said the government had until before 28 October to respond to the protesters’ demands. Muhammad Hafidz Hernanda, the organisation’s social and political affairs coordinator, warned that students would return if no meaningful changes were made.

“If there is no change and no response before the 28th, we will take to the streets again on the 28th. It will be more massive and larger, and I am sure it will be more resounding than this,” Hafidz said.

Five demands focus on fires, inequality and public services

BEM UI Vice-Chair Fathimah Azzahra outlined five demands presented during the demonstration.

The first was for the government to declare forest and land fires a national disaster and restore affected ecosystems. The second called for improvements to economic policy and governance to address social inequality.

The third demanded an end to the shrinking of civic space and militarisation. The fourth called for the eradication of corruption, collusion and nepotism, commonly referred to in Indonesia as KKN. The fifth sought lower education costs and an education system that serves the public.

“Today we are bringing five demands. The first is to declare forest and land fires a national disaster and, of course, to restore the affected ecosystems,” Fathimah said.

She said the call to protect civil liberties had been raised repeatedly but remained necessary because students felt there had been little meaningful change.

“This is also a demand we have raised quite often, but we have to raise it again because it feels as though there has not been much change,” she said.

Hafidz also criticised economic inequality, saying: “Because we feel that the rich are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer,”.

Protesters use masks and reject university jackets

Organisers said the demonstration was intended to bring together students and members of the wider public rather than present the event solely as a BEM UI action.

Participants did not wear their university's identifying jackets, a decision Hafidz said was intended to encourage students to blend in with other civil society groups and create a more inclusive space for public participation.

“This time, our fellow BEM UI members will take part in the demonstration without wearing university jackets, together with other students, so that we can be more inclusive and integrate more with civil society,” Hafidz said.

He also urged media outlets not to portray the demonstration as an action involving BEM UI alone, saying students from other university executive boards, non-governmental organisations and civil society groups had joined.

“Basically, this is not a BEM UI action, but an action by the Indonesian people on the second anniversary of Prabowo-Gibran,” he said.

Some demonstrators wore masks as a symbol of oppressed members of the public. Hafidz said the masks represented people who felt marginalised, rather than any single individual.

“Behind those masks, there are not just one or two individuals, but all Indonesians who feel oppressed,” he said.

The programme also included performances and other activities alongside speeches, which Fathimah said were intended to create a more open atmosphere.

Tugu Tani chosen for symbolic significance

Hafidz described Tugu Tani as a symbolic location for the protest and argued that students had the right to demonstrate as taxpayers whose contributions helped fund public infrastructure.

“We feel this is a symbolic monument, and it is our right to protest because we pay taxes. A lot of our income is deducted to pay for these roads, these lawns and this statue,” he said.

He also linked the location to the protesters’ concerns about forest and land fires, saying it was ironic that the monument remained standing while Indonesia's flora and fauna continued to burn.

Fathimah said the choice of location was connected to issues affecting people's everyday lives, including the impact of forest fires and economic inequality. She described the demonstration as a continuation of earlier protests and said students would take further action if the issues they raised remained unresolved.

During the demonstration, some participants climbed the Tugu Tani monument and attached banners displaying their demands. Protesters also delivered speeches and read out statements outlining their positions.

Police maintained a security presence around the site, and the demonstration remained orderly. Some roads near Tugu Tani experienced traffic congestion during the event, but traffic returned to normal after the protesters dispersed.