Hundreds of Indonesian students and civil society members protested in Jakarta and other cities on Wednesday against President Prabowo Subianto’s policies, including the government’s handling of ongoing forest fires.
Indonesia is experiencing its worst forest fires and resulting haze in 11 years, as the El Niño weather pattern has worsened conditions in fire-prone peatlands. The fires have increased respiratory illnesses and polluted the air in neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore.
Protesters gathered at a major roundabout in Jakarta, some wearing gas masks and holding signs demanding that the government declare the fires a national disaster.
Some demonstrators carried signs reading, “If we burn, you burn with us,” while others raised three fingers, a protest gesture inspired by The Hunger Games film series that has been adopted by youth movements worldwide.
Anggi Aurien, 28, wore a gas mask for three hours while protesting against the fires, which have killed wildlife.
“Animals don’t have a mind of their own. If we kill them, what’s the difference between us and them?” she said.
Other demonstrators displayed photographs of orangutans, which have been badly affected by the fires, and carried a cardboard cutout of Prabowo.
Students, including those from the University of Indonesia, were blocked by dozens of police and military personnel, leading to several scuffles.
“Revolution! Revolution!” protesters chanted.
Ezra Al Barra, a student at the University of Padjadjaran, described the fires as “our collective anger”, adding that students had travelled from regions outside Jakarta to join the demonstration.
Students also rallied in Makassar, South Sulawesi, and Bandung, West Java, making similar demands. Dozens of demonstrators on motorbikes filled major roads.
Protesters also called on the government to halt spending on populist programmes, including Prabowo’s free school meals scheme.
In a statement late Wednesday, the government’s communications office welcomed input from students, saying authorities had prosecuted companies linked to the fires and provided assistance to provinces affected by the haze. It added that the government would continue monitoring the situation.
The protests, the second in a week, came as Prabowo’s approval ratings have steadily declined since late last year, according to surveys by Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting, two years into his presidency.
Indonesia has prosecuted companies allegedly linked to the fires and attempted weather modification to induce rainfall.
The country’s last major protest took place in August, when hundreds of people were detained.
In 2025, weeks-long nationwide protests erupted following the police killing of a motorcycle taxi driver. Several other people were killed during the unrest.