Story perspectives

Jakarta Students Protest 32% Fuel Hike, Demand Free Meal Cut

6/14/2026

Summary

Students Protest

Students marched in Jakarta on Friday to protest President Prabowo Subianto’s 32% fuel price hike and government spending.
The hike followed a rupiah drop below 18,000 per dollar and a lift of non-subsidised fuel prices.
About 2,000 demonstrators in university jackets gathered at Bundaran HI, demanded cancellation of the hike, and called for ending free meals for 83 million children.
Police and military erected metal barricades, leading to brief scuffles.

Summary

Students Rally

The June 12 rally was the largest student mobilization since the August nationwide protests.
August protests sparked clashes with security forces that left at least 13 people dead.
Coordinated demonstrations occurred in Jakarta, Bandung in West Java, and Pontianak on Borneo island.
Organisers linked current fuel-price grievances to the earlier calls for broader socioeconomic reforms, showing persistent public frustration.

Summary

Prabowo Dismisses

President Prabowo Subianto dismissed the director of the free-meals agency after mass-poisoning incidents and corruption allegations.
The free-meals programme costs the state $28 billion annually and is promoted as an investment in Indonesia’s future.
Officials described the programme as a centerpiece of Prabowo’s 2024 presidential campaign.
State-run oil firm Pertamina raised the Pertamax fuel price by more than 30 percent in its latest adjustment.

History

Historical Context

On May 21 1998, after weeks of massive student protests in Jakarta, President Suharto stepped down, ending his 31-year rule and ushering in President B.J. Habibie. The 1998 demonstrations showed how Indonesian students could force policy reversals, a pattern echoed today as they rally against fuel price hikes and a new free-meal program.

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Students Protest

Students marched in Jakarta on Friday to protest President Prabowo Subianto’s 32% fuel price hike and government spending.
The hike followed a rupiah drop below 18,000 per dollar and a lift of non-subsidised fuel prices.
About 2,000 demonstrators in university jackets gathered at Bundaran HI, demanded cancellation of the hike, and called for ending free meals for 83 million children.
Police and military erected metal barricades, leading to brief scuffles.

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