Students rally against ‘decaying freedom' as Indonesia turns 81
Despite the barricades, students remained defiant, with a protester on the front line shouting that Prabowo and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka had failed, followed by echoes from the crowd in the back.
Indonesian students protested against what they deemed "decaying freedom" in the country as it marked its 81st Independence Day on Tuesday. The demonstration, organized by the University of Indonesia student executive body (BEM UI), called for President Prabowo Subianto's administration to halt wasteful spending amid economic challenges and natural disasters.
Hundreds of students marched towards the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta, only to be halted by six lines of police barricades along Jl. Sudirman, the city's main road. Despite the barriers, protesters maintained their stance, with a student on the front line declaring that Prabowo and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka had failed.
This was BEM UI chair Yatalathof Imawan's first Independence Day since the group criticized the celebration as an affront to the current democratic state. "If we continue to be silenced and intimidated for protesting and expressing our opinion, what does independence truly signify?" Imawan asked the crowd. The protest saw heated exchanges between demonstrators and security forces, with approximately 40 female police officers positioned at the forefront to obstruct the students' progress.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
