Gibran Receives Student Protest Representatives, Promises Evaluation of Key Programmes

Representatives of students from Bung Karno University (UBK) and MH Thamrin University, who were staging a protest on Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan in Central Jakarta, were invited to the Vice Presidential Palace on Monday (15/6/2026). Fifteen student representatives were received by Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

Based on observations, the student representatives who had been demonstrating near the Horse Statue left their group for the Vice Presidential Palace at 5 p.m. WIB. They then walked to the palace, which is approximately 700 metres from the protest site.

The representatives entered the Vice Presidential Palace at around 5.30 p.m. WIB. The closed-door meeting lasted more than an hour, concluding at 6.50 p.m. WIB.

Muhammad Abdi, Chairman of the Student Executive Board (BEM) of the Faculty of Law at UBK, stated that he had directly conveyed the students’ aspirations to Gibran. According to him, the eldest son of the 7th President Joko Widodo noted down the students’ demands.

"The response from the relevant parties, especially the Vice President, was very good," he said after meeting Gibran on Monday evening.

According to him, Gibran has also taken note of a number of student demands. The Vice President is also said to be planning an evaluation of several programmes that are currently under intense public scrutiny, particularly the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme and the Red and White Village Cooperatives.

"This means that the Vice President is open and accepts the results of his review. He will audit and consolidate—what is it, consolidate—he will inform the leadership, more specifically President Prabowo Subianto. He will sound it out again," he said.