Student Protests Against Government Policies Erupt in Yogyakarta, Banner Declares 'People Are Angry'

February 20, 2025 | 10:33 pm

TEMPO.CO, Yogyakarta - Thousands of students joining the Jogja Memanggil activist coalition marched and delivered speeches denouncing the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto and the Red and White Cabinet on Thursday, February 20, 2025. Not only did they disrupt traffic flow in the Malioboro area, but the demonstrators also proceeded to surround the Yogyakarta State Palace, which was heavily guarded by military and police personnel.

During the demonstration in front of the Yogyakarta State Palace, the protesters unfurled a large banner bearing the message "The People are Angry, Okay Gas Ndasmu, the People are Sovereign" and "Disband the Red and White Cabinet". The banner featured caricatured faces resembling prominent state figures, depicted with devilish horns.

The sketched faces bore a striking resemblance to former President Joko Widodo or Jokowi, President Prabowo, and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who were portrayed holding baby bottles.

Throughout the protest, students from various Yogyakarta campuses took turns addressing the crowd from atop a command vehicle. They criticized Prabowo and his cabinet's actions during their first 100 days in office, arguing that they had exacerbated the already challenging conditions inherited from Jokowi's era, particularly in the economic and educational sectors.

Derian, the action coordinator from the State Islamic University (UIN) Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, highlighted Prabowo's budget cut policy, which also impacted education, as a key point of contention. "We reject the education budget cut, this will affect the quality of education in the future, moreover the budget that was cut is also unclear where it will be diverted," he stated.

The protesters also condemned Prabowo's budget cuts, which they deemed superficial and ineffective in addressing the needs of the people. They criticized Prabowo's Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program, arguing that it was being implemented at the expense of other essential public services.

"What is budget efficiency? What we know is that the cost of UKT (single tuition fee) continues to climb and burdens our parents, what we know is that the state is wasting the budget to finance a cabinet that cannot work optimally and instead makes things difficult," an orator from UGM declared from the command vehicle.

The Jogja Memanggil coalition asserted that Prabowo's budget efficiency policy demonstrated inconsistency in providing policies that prioritize the welfare of the people. "The chatter of Prabowo-Gibran's incompetent ministers and policies that are only issued for the interests of the party and themselves instead of for the needs of the people, condoning corruptors as criminals of state funds," the coalition stated.

Jogja Memanggil cited several reasons why the public was increasingly dissatisfied with the Prabowo-Gibran Regime, including the proposed 12 percent increase in value-added tax (VAT) at the start of the administration. The contradictory statements from Prabowo's ministers, some of whom suggested that basic necessities, electricity, and internet services would be affected by the VAT increase, further fueled public discontent.

"This indicates that both Prabowo and his ministers have poor public communication. If public officials have poor communication, then those public officials are not competent in their fields," the orator asserted.

Despite Prabowo and Sri Mulyani's subsequent clarification on December 31, 2024, that the 12 percent VAT increase would only apply to luxury goods, the public's perception had already been negatively impacted. The prices of essential goods continued to rise in the market, as many companies had adjusted their prices to account for inflation and the anticipated VAT increase. 

"Prices that have already risen in the market are impossible to go down, especially with the characters of super-rich entrepreneurs in Indonesia who only want to seek their own profit," the Jogja Memanggil orator added.

Furthermore, the budget cuts championed by Prabowo were accompanied by policies that resulted in shortages of 3 kg LPG canisters and diesel fuel. In early February 2025, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia restricted the distribution of 3 kg LPG canisters to designated outlets, claiming that this would ensure a price of around Rp16,000 per refill cylinder.

"Instead of making it easier and making the people prosper, the policy taken by Bahlil actually makes the people miserable. Without clear instructions on where the 3 kg LPG canister bases are in each region and their distribution, people are confused about getting gas," the orator stated.

Yogyakarta City Police Chief Senior Commissioner Aditya Surya Dharma reported that the student protest was conducted peacefully. He confirmed that no physical clashes occurred between students and police officers. However, he noted that some protesters had fainted, likely due to heat and exhaustion.

"The entire action was conducive. There was indeed an act of burning things and throwing paint but it was conducive. No one was injured in this action," he said.

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