Hundreds of Indonesian security personnel were deployed in Jakarta on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, in anticipation of student protests against several of President Prabowo Subianto’s policies and his government’s handling of forest fires, according to Reuters. Students from the University of Indonesia said they were set to stage protests in several spots in the capital, under the hashtag #IndonesiaAware. They are calling on the government to declare the ongoing wildfires in Sumatra and Borneo a national disaster, and to halt spending on populist programmes such as Prabowo’s free meals scheme, among other demands, Reuters reported.
Armoured vehicles in central Jakarta
A heavy police and military presence, as well as armoured vehicles, could be seen in busy parts of central Jakarta on Wednesday morning, according to Reuters. It was unclear how many students would take to the streets — a key uncertainty, since turnout will determine whether the day passes peacefully or escalates. Protests have also been held in haze-stricken areas of Borneo and Sumatra, including one in Central Kalimantan last week. The haze issue is live across the region: transboundary smoke from land and forest fires is easing in Malaysia and Singapore, but Singapore’s forecasters say shifting winds could bring smoke back on Thursday and Friday, according to a Southeast Asia hazards summary. Indonesia’s West Java province was under its highest rain warning level, ‘Awas,’ for October 28, according to the same summary.
A president under pressure
Prabowo’s approval ratings have fallen steadily since late last year, according to surveys by Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC), two years into his presidency, Reuters reported. Indonesia’s last major protest took place in August, when hundreds were detained, and students also held demonstrations last week. The context is combustible: in 2025, weeks-long nationwide protests broke out after the police killing of a motorcycle taxi driver, with several more people killed during the unrest. Authorities will be keen to avoid a repeat — and students will be keen to show that last year’s movement has not gone away.
What happens next
The day’s outcome hinges on turnout and policing. Peaceful, permitted marches would mark a routine — if tense — day of democratic protest; heavy-handed dispersal would risk reviving the cycle that defined 2025.
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