(This article was generated by Google Gemini AI from the creator's video)
On October 20, marking exactly two years since President Prabowo took office, student demonstrators took to the streets of Jakarta to demand urgent government action on persistent haze and a range of socioeconomic grievances. Protesters demanded that the ongoing forest fires be declared a national disaster and insisted that responsible companies face prosecution.
Five Core Demands
The haze crisis forms only one part of five major demands put forward by the student groups. Alongside environmental measures, demonstrators are calling for decisive action to tackle rising living costs, rampant corruption, restrictions on civil liberties, and the soaring cost of education.
Widespread Economic Discontent
The street protests coincide with survey findings highlighting public dissatisfaction. An October survey conducted by polling firm SMRC found that 50.8 percent of respondents assessed Indonesia's economic conditions as bad or very bad. Additionally, 62 percent expressed dissatisfaction with the administration's flagship free meals program.
The same polling firm recorded a steep decline in President Prabowo's approval rating, which dropped nearly 37 percentage points from 81.2 percent in November to 44.5 percent in October. While other surveys have reported higher ratings, the sharp drop in SMRC's polling underscores growing discontent.
Student leaders have cautioned that if their demands go unanswered by the government, they will organize even larger street demonstrations scheduled for October 28.
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