Indonesia Deploys 9,000 Security Personnel as Protests Mark Prabowo’s Two-Year Milestone

POLICY WIRE — Jakarta, Indonesia — Authorities have mobilized more than 9,000 police officers across the capital on Tuesday, October 20, to manage demonstrations coinciding with the two-year anniversary of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration.

City police spokesperson Budi Hermanto confirmed that approximately 9,500 security personnel are being deployed to monitor various protest sites throughout Jakarta. The heightened security presence follows recent polling data indicating a significant decline in the president’s public approval.

Student groups, including representatives from the University of Indonesia, have organized rallies to voice concerns over the national economy. Specifically, protesters are highlighting the recent stock market downturn, the weakening rupiah, and ongoing forest fires as evidence of economic instability.

While the exact number of participants remains uncertain, environmental activists from Greenpeace also joined the dissent, displaying a banner on a prominent Jakarta monument demanding action on the climate crisis and the rising cost of living.

President Prabowo, a retired general who took office on October 20, 2024, secured a substantial electoral victory but now faces mounting pressure to regain the trust of investors and the public. Critics have expressed apprehension regarding the economic consequences of his populist policy agenda.

Data from Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) reflects this shifting sentiment, showing the president’s approval rating dropping to 44.5 percent this month, down from a high of 81.2 percent in November of last year.

The current climate of unrest follows a history of significant demonstrations in the country, including widespread protests in 2025 sparked by the police killing of a motorcycle taxi driver, and a major wave of unrest in August that resulted in hundreds of arrests.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)