INDONESIA will deploy about 9,500 police officers across the capital on Tuesday to manage demonstrations marking President Prabowo Subianto’s second year in office, as his approval rating falls amid growing economic concerns.
City police spokesman Budi Hermanto said students from at least two universities planned to stage protests at several locations in Jakarta, although the number of participants remained unclear.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that the student body of the University of Indonesia said it would demonstrate against recent forest fires and turmoil in the stock market, which, alongside the weakening rupiah, reflected what it described as the fragility of the national economy.
Environmental group Greenpeace also displayed a banner on a major Jakarta monument on Tuesday calling on the government to “deal with the climate crisis, lower cost of living”.
Prabowo, a retired general who was sworn in on Oct 20, 2024, won the presidential election by a large margin but has faced concerns from the public, businesses and investors over the economic implications of his ambitious populist programmes.
His approval rating has declined steadily since late last year, according to surveys by Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC). It fell to 44.5 per cent this month, its lowest level, from 81.2 per cent in November 2025.
Indonesia’s most recent major protests took place in August, when hundreds of people were detained following unrest.
Nationwide demonstrations also erupted in 2025 after police killed a motorcycle taxi driver, with several people killed during the subsequent unrest. - October 20, 2026