Indonesian students protest against state spending, fuel price hike
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- Indonesian students marched in Jakarta on Friday, heading toward the Hotel Indonesia roundabout and confronting police shield barricades.
- President Prabowo Subianto is being demanded to halt wasteful state spending and scrap the free meals programme, which has faced mass food poisoning and corruption allegations.
- Pertamina raised the price of Pertamax fuel by more than 30% earlier this week, prompting protests over the impact on the middle class.
- Free meals programme costs $28bn (£20.8bn) annually and is promoted as an investment in child malnutrition, education, and the economy, yet students say it is unclear and plagued by incidents.
- Rupiah has slid to fresh lows amid rising public anger over perceived mismanagement, as highlighted by protesters.
- Police used shields to block the protest, but demonstrators pushed through, threw objects, and no immediate injuries were reported.
- #MenujuIndonesiaBangkrut trended on social media, reflecting protesters' claim that current policies could bankrupt Indonesia.
Why it matters: Middle‑class families face higher fuel costs while the $28bn free meals programme strains the national budget; the protest shows growing public pressure on President Prabowo Subianto to curb spending, highlighting fiscal strain and a sliding rupiah, and the currency's decline adds urgency to calls for fiscal restraint.
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