Students Disperse at Patung Kuda After Presenting Demands; Road Reopens
Students from groups including BEM SI Kerakyatan and BEM Esa Unggul staged a demonstration in the Patung Kuda area of Central Jakarta today. They were met by Binbin Firman Tresnadi, a special staff member to the State Secretary, and sat down with him to discuss their demands.
Detikcom observed that the demonstration began at around 4.20pm on Thursday (22 October 2025). The protesters walked from Tugu Tani towards Patung Kuda.
The demonstrators gave speeches and criticised the government. They demanded that the government declare the ongoing forest and land fires a national disaster.
At around 5.20pm, Binbin met the protesters, after which the students invited him to join a discussion.
They raised concerns about the fires and employment issues, and set out eight demands:
The government should declare the forest and land fires a national disaster.
The government should implement genuine agrarian reform. The students said they would provide and read out the full data.
Civilian supremacy should be upheld, and the military should be withdrawn from civilian affairs and returned to barracks.
Access to healthcare should be made more equitable and its quality improved.
The government should improve the welfare of education workers.
All government populist programmes should be evaluated.
Decent work and a decent standard of living should be realised.
Popular sovereignty should be restored and constitutional supremacy upheld.
Binbin said State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi had sent him to hear the students’ demands.
He took notes as student representatives read out their research findings and demands. He said he would submit their findings and input to the relevant agencies.
“I will make sure the relevant ministries attend. What you have presented is the result of your research, and these issues are certainly not being raised without reason,” he said.
The protesters said the situation was urgent and called for their demands to be acted on promptly.
After the meeting, the students stood up again and chanted slogans before gradually dispersing towards Tugu Tani.
Medan Merdeka Selatan road towards Gambir Station was then reopened, and traffic returned to normal.