MORE than 9,000 Indonesian police officers are to be deployed in the capital here to handle protests marking President Prabowo Subianto's two years in office, said authorities, after polls showed his popularity was on the wane.
Students from at least two universities were set to stage protests in several spots here, said city police spokesperson Budi Hermanto yesterday, requiring the deployment of around 9,500 officers.
The student body of the University of Indonesia said it would protest against recent forest fires as well as the rout on the stock market, which, along with the weakening rupiah, was a signal of the "national economy's fragility".
It is unclear how many students will be involved in the demonstrations.
Environment group Greenpeace draped a banner on a major Jakarta monument yesterday that read "deal with the climate crisis, lower cost of living".
Prabowo was sworn in as president on Oct 20, 2024.
The retired general won the election with a huge majority, but he is battling to restore the confidence of the public, business and investors, who have been worried by the economic impact of his ambitious, populist programmes.
His approval rating in surveys by Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting has fallen steadily since late last year.
His approval rating reached its lowest level of 44.5 per cent this month, falling from 81.2 per cent in November last year.
Indonesia's last major protest took place in August last year, when hundreds were detained.
Nationwide protests broke out after the police killing of a motorcycle taxi driver, with several people killed during the unrest. — REUTERS
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