Indonesian University students to protest forest fires, corruption and high education costs on 28 Oct
The University of Indonesia’s student executive board plans to stage another demonstration in Jakarta on 28 October 2026, with demands covering the economy, environment, public services, governance and human rights.
- BEM UI plans another demonstration at Jakarta’s Hotel Indonesia Roundabout on 28 October 2026.
- Organisers are collecting public submissions to shape demands covering five broad policy sectors.
- The protest follows a 20 October demonstration calling for action on environmental damage, inequality, civil liberties, corruption and education costs.
The Student Executive Board of the University of Indonesia (BEM UI) plans to hold another demonstration in Jakarta on 28 October 2026, coinciding with Indonesia’s Youth Pledge Day, following a protest last week that called on the government to address forest fires, economic inequality, civil liberties, corruption and education costs.
The student organisation announced on its official Instagram account, @bemui_official, on 26 October that the gathering point for the planned action would be the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout (Bundaran HI) in Central Jakarta.
“On 28 October 2026, coinciding with the commemoration of Youth Pledge Day, we, together with all elements of society, will once again take to the streets to demand what we should rightfully have,” BEM UI said in its statement.
The planned demonstration follows the group’s #IndonesiaSadar action on 20 October, when students gathered in the Tugu Tani area of Central Jakarta and presented five demands to the government.
BEM UI has not confirmed whether the upcoming protest will introduce additional demands or revise the previous five-point agenda. Details of the event’s format and activities were also yet to be announced in the statement.
Five demands from the 20 October protest
During the 20 October demonstration, BEM UI called for government action on five issues covering environmental protection, economic policy, civil liberties, corruption and education.
Its demands were:
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Forest and land fires: Declare the forest and land fires a national disaster, prosecute corporations responsible for the fires and restore affected ecosystems.
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Economic policy: Improve economic governance to address social inequality.
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Civil liberties: Stop the narrowing of civic space and militarisation.
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Corruption: Eradicate corruption, collusion and nepotism in state administration.
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Education: Reduce education costs and establish an education system that serves the public.
The demands were presented as part of the #IndonesiaSadar movement, which brought together concerns across several policy areas rather than focusing on a single issue.
The call to declare the fires a national disaster comes amid continuing forest and land fires in parts of Indonesia, particularly on Sumatra and Kalimantan. The fires have prompted firefighting operations and weather-modification efforts by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), while smoke has affected air quality in parts of the region.
New demands may reflect public submissions
BEM UI has indicated that the 28 October demonstration will focus on five broad sectors: the economy, the environment, public services, law and state governance, and human rights and democracy.
Lionel Sihaloho, deputy head of BEM UI’s Department of Action and Propaganda, said the organisers were collecting public concerns through a mechanism called the Form Tuntutan Rakyat, or People’s Demands Form.
He said the demands for the next action would be prepared in line with concerns submitted by the public. The process could lead to changes in how the earlier demands are framed, although the organisation has not yet published a complete final list.
The demonstration is also expected to involve Komite Sadar, short for Komite Selamatkan Daulat Rakyat, and student organisations from other universities, according to Indonesian media reports.
At the 20 October protest, BEM UI said the demonstration was intended to bring together students and other members of civil society. Hundreds of people joined the action in the Tugu Tani area, where participants delivered speeches under police supervision. Antara reported that the protest proceeded in a generally orderly manner.
BEM UI’s social and political coordinator, Hafidz Hernanda, said students had chosen not to wear their university jackets so they could demonstrate alongside other civil society groups.
Protest coincides with Youth Pledge Day
The planned demonstration falls on Indonesia’s Youth Pledge Day, commemorated annually on 28 October. The date marks the 1928 Youth Pledge, when representatives of Indonesian youth organisations declared their commitment to one homeland, one nation and one language: Indonesia.
BEM UI’s announcement calls on members of the public to join the action in Jakarta. The organisers have identified Bundaran HI as the meeting point, but the starting time and full programme have not been confirmed in the information published so far.
The protest follows the students’ 20 October action, which coincided with the second anniversary of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka taking office.
At that demonstration, the five demands addressed environmental damage, economic inequality, civil liberties, corruption and education costs.
The group has said the next action will continue to address public concerns across these areas, with the final demands to be shaped by submissions through its public consultation mechanism.
