TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A wave of student demonstrations calling for government policy reforms took place across Indonesia on Friday, June 12, 2026, including in Central Java cities such as Surakarta (Solo) and Semarang, as well as in other regions beyond Jakarta.
In Solo, hundreds of students from various universities under the Alliance of Solo Raya Student Executive Boards (BEM) rallied in front of the Surakarta City Council building.
The protesters raised demands ranging from a review of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program to the repeal of revisions to the Indonesian National Police (Polri) Law.
The demonstration began in the afternoon, with participants taking turns delivering speeches. The students said Indonesia’s economy required urgent attention, citing weak public purchasing power and pressure on the rupiah.
“We demand that the government evaluate large-budget programs and prioritize economic recovery,” said participant Arif Ainurjaya.
The protesters also expressed concern over the rupiah’s depreciation against the US dollar and urged the government to take immediate steps to stabilize the currency.
They further rejected the revised Polri Law, arguing it could restrict civil liberties and expand police authority. They called on the government and lawmakers to review the legislation.
Surakarta City Council leaders met with the demonstrators, and Council Speaker Budi Prasetyo said their demands would be forwarded to relevant authorities.
The protest briefly turned tense after rumors spread that two participants had been detained. However, the situation eased following clarification between demonstrators and police, who denied any arrests.
“We can confirm that no one was detained. The crowd later dispersed in an orderly manner,” said Surakarta police spokesperson Adjunct Commissioner Lingga Ramadhani.
Authorities deployed around 490 joint personnel to secure the protest, along with traffic management measures around the council building. By 5:30 p.m. local time, the situation was reported to be under control, with demonstrators dispersing peacefully.
A similar protest took place in Semarang, where hundreds of students gathered in front of the Central Java Governor’s Office and the Central Java Regional House of Representatives on Pahlawan Street.
The demonstration began around 4:20 p.m., with students taking turns addressing the crowd. Diponegoro University Student Executive Board chair Nur Maajid criticized government performance amid rising economic pressures.
“The economic crisis is looming. What is the government waiting for to act?” Maajid said.
The students pointed to rising government debt and the weakening rupiah, which reportedly reached Rp18,201 per US dollar on June 8, 2026.
Their demands included a review of the MBG program, lower fuel prices, reform of civil-military-police relations, and stronger measures to stabilize the rupiah.
Maajid warned that further demonstrations would follow if the government failed to respond. Similar protests were also held in other cities, including Jakarta.
Jamal Abdun Nashr contributed to the writing of this article.
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