Indonesia deployed thousands of security personnel around parliament and other major cities on Thursday as students returned to the streets, one year after nationwide anti-government protests left 10 people dead.
Demonstrations were held in Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Makassar to commemorate last year’s unrest and protest against President Prabowo Subianto’s policies, corruption and what students describe as the growing militarisation of civilian life.
Around 18,000 police personnel were deployed near the parliamentary complex in Jakarta, according to local media, while police buses and military trucks were seen across major roads.
Jakarta police said 65 people had been arrested on suspicion of attempting to exploit the demonstrations to create unrest. Authorities said they seized airsoft guns, materials for making Molotov cocktails and communication devices, although it was unclear whether those arrested were directly involved in the protests.
Around 200 students gathered outside parliament in Jakarta, calling for an end to Prabowo’s flagship free meals programme, lower staple food prices and a halt to the expansion of the military’s role in civilian affairs.
The free meals scheme has faced criticism following governance problems, mass food poisoning incidents and legal challenges.
“We chose 27 August to commemorate because last year there were riots and various other incidents,” student representative Kahirul Ammar told Reuters. “Today we want to convey our aspirations, not cause riots.”
Some demonstrators damaged fencing around parliament while attempting to climb over it, while others burned tyres.
The protests come as Prabowo faces declining public support. His approval rating fell to 38 per cent in August, according to a poll by Indonesian investigative media outlet Tempo.
Thursday’s demonstrations mark a year since thousands of students and civilians took part in nationwide protests over government spending priorities. Ten people were killed during the unrest, nearly 7,000 were arrested and hundreds were sentenced.
A separate group from Central Java also demonstrated outside parliament on Thursday, demanding legislation allowing authorities to seize assets linked to corruption and money laundering.
Lawmakers met representatives of the group and pledged to resign if the legislation was not passed by 15 December, according to protest organisers.
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