Student Protests on 20 October Spread Beyond Jakarta to Other Regions

Student demonstrations marking the second anniversary of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s administration were not confined to Jakarta. Students in Yogyakarta and Makassar, South Sulawesi, also took to the streets on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, to voice criticism and demands directed at the government.

In Yogyakarta, thousands of demonstrators gathered at the Yogyakarta Regional House of Representatives (DPRD DIY). In Makassar, protests took place at 33 locations, with around 3,000 joint security personnel deployed. Issues raised by students included disaster response, government policies, budget transparency and human rights.

The demonstrations in several regions coincided with the second anniversary of the Prabowo-Gibran administration. Students used the occasion to assess government policies and the implementation of its programmes.

Thousands of students gather outside the Yogyakarta DPRD

Thousands of demonstrators arrived at the Yogyakarta DPRD building in the city on Tuesday afternoon. Participants began gathering in waves from around 12 noon local time.

The action began with dozens of students from the Islamic Students Association (HMI), who delivered their demands in speeches from a command vehicle. They criticised disaster response and said the recovery process for affected communities was not being handled seriously.

One speaker referred to a number of disasters in Indonesia, including disasters in Sumatra, an earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), and forest and land fires.

“A year after the Sumatra disaster, the wounds have not healed; now there is the NTT earthquake, and forest and land fires. We are here united in opening the eyes of those in power,” one speaker said.

Another speaker criticised what they described as a slow response to forest and land fires, highlighting the situation of people affected by fires in Kalimantan.

“Our brothers and sisters in Kalimantan see their forests being burned and live in areas unfit for habitation, yet the people are told to adapt,” the speaker shouted.

Alongside disaster response, demonstrators also raised allegations of corruption at the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). Protest materials linked the issue to an October 2026 Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) sting operation concerning the alleged misuse of Ready-to-Use Funds (DSP) for emergency disaster response.