Indonesian students protest government spending and fuel price hikes amid economic strain

Hundreds of students protested in Jakarta on June 12, 2026, against President Prabowo Subianto's economic policies amid worsening economic conditions. Demonstrators opposed a recent 30% fuel price hike and demanded an end to "wasteful" spending, including a free meals program plagued by corruption allegations. The protests, dubbed "Heading to Bankrupt Indonesia," occurred as the nation's currency hit a historic low and its stock market tumbled.

Jakarta student protests

• ▪Scuffles broke out when some protesters tried to break through police lines and metal barricades
• ▪Protesters marched towards central Jakarta's Bundaran HI landmark, also known as the Hotel Indonesia roundabout
• ▪The protest was called "Heading to Bankrupt Indonesia," with some protesters using the hashtag #MenujuIndonesiaBangkrut on social media
• ▪Approximately 6,000 police and soldiers, including anti-riot forces, were deployed to the march
• ▪Hundreds to thousands of Indonesian students protested in Jakarta on June 12, 2026, against government economic policies

Fuel price hike

• ▪In the week of June 9, 2026, Indonesia's government raised the price of widely-used fuel by over 30%
• ▪Protesters demanded the government lower fuel and staple food prices
• ▪The price of two types of fuel known as Pertamax was raised by state-run company Pertamina
• ▪The fuel price increase was prompted by rising fiscal pressures on the state budget from President Prabowo Subianto's spending plans

Prabowo spending priorities

• ▪Indonesia's currency, the rupiah, has weakened, hitting a historic low of over 18,000 to the US dollar in June 2026
• ▪The free meals programme aims to reach 83 million children and pregnant women to tackle malnutrition and improve education
• ▪Indonesia's stock market has lost about a third of its value in 2026, one of the worst performances globally

Free meals programme criticism

• ▪The free meals programme has been criticized for mass food poisonings and allegations of corruption
• ▪Students and activists criticized the expansion of military roles in civilian affairs under President Prabowo Subianto
• ▪The annual cost of the free meals programme is estimated to be between $15 billion and $28 billion
• ▪President Prabowo Subianto fired the head of the agency responsible for the free meals programme in early June 2026

Military expansion civilian affairs

• ▪Critics fear the expanded military role could return Indonesia to the authoritarian rule it experienced under former President Suharto
• ▪A presidential communications office chief, Muhammad Qodari, said the protests were democratic and the government listens to public opinion