Indonesian police arrested dozens of protesters after a rally against President Prabowo Subianto's policies in Surabaya, the country's second-largest city, according to a rights group. Around 100 people gathered near a government building on Friday to protest a fuel price hike and Prabowo's free meals scheme.
Some demonstrators engaged in violent acts, such as throwing rocks at police and setting fire to rubbish, which led to their arrests. Twenty-four protesters were detained, as confirmed by Fatkul Khoir, a coordinator at rights group KontraS Surabaya. They were questioned until early Saturday morning but were not charged.
Police Response and Context
Surabaya police chief Luthfie Sulistiawan stated that officers took 'firm actions' to disperse the protesters after projectiles were thrown. He confirmed 'dozens' of arrests but did not specify the exact number.
The protests are part of a larger wave of demonstrations that have erupted across Indonesia this month. The trigger was the administration's decision to raise the prices of non-subsidised gasoline by around 30 percent, a move aimed at easing budgetary pressures amid global oil supply issues caused by the Middle East war.
Wider Protests and Government Response
Thousands of students have taken to the streets in Jakarta, opposing both the fuel price hikes and demanding a halt to the multi-billion-dollar free meals scheme. This initiative, a cornerstone of Prabowo's political agenda, has faced widespread criticism for being wasteful and has been linked to mass food poisonings, leading to its partial suspension.
The recent unrest is the biggest since Prabowo took office in 2024. Earlier protests, which began over lavish perks for lawmakers, escalated into broader anger against security forces after a police vehicle killed a delivery driver. Rights groups reported 10 deaths and thousands of arrests during those protests, though most detainees have since been released.
