9,500 cops to be deployed in Jakarta ahead of protests
Your browser does not support the audio element.
More than 9,000 Indonesian police officers will be deployed in Jakarta ahead of planned protests marking the two-year tenure of President Prabowo Subianto, authorities announced. Recent polls revealed a decline in his popularity, prompting the preparations.
Students from at least two universities planned to stage demonstrations in various locations, said city police spokesperson Budi Hermanto. The unrest would center around forest fires and the stock market's decline, reflecting the national economy's instability. The extent of student involvement remains uncertain.
Environment group Greenpeace displayed a banner at a major Jakarta monument, urging the government to tackle the climate crisis and reduce living costs. Prabowo assumed office on October 20, 2024, after winning a landslide election. However, he faces challenges in regaining public, business, and investor confidence due to the economic repercussions of his populist policies.
Since late last year, Prabowo's approval rating has steadily dropped, reaching a low of 44.5% this month, compared to 81.2% in November 2023. The last major protest in Indonesia occurred in August 2023, resulting in hundreds of detentions and several deaths following the police shooting of a motorcycle taxi driver.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
