Sultan HB X on Wave of Anti-Government Protests: As Long as It's Orderly, Go Ahead

Governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X has commented on the recent wave of mass protests criticising the government in several regions, including Yogyakarta. The Sultan asserted that the right to demonstrate is a democratic right of Indonesian citizens. However, he emphasised that demonstrations in public spaces should not be accompanied by the destruction of public facilities. “Well, this is a demonstration; Indonesian citizens have the right. As long as they notify the police, just do it. The important thing is not to harm the public, do not destroy things, be orderly, and please go ahead,” the Sultan explained when met at the Kepatihan Complex on Monday (15/6/2026). A number of mass actions have reportedly emerged since Friday (12/6) in cities such as Jakarta, Semarang, and Yogyakarta. These demonstrations are criticising several government policies, ranging from the Free Nutritious Meal programme (MBG) and the Kopdes Merah Putih initiative, to the most recent issue concerning the increase in non-subsidised fuel prices. In Yogyakarta itself, a demonstration was held on Saturday (13/6). Hundreds of people, calling themselves the ‘Alliance of the People Calling’, staged their action at the Gejayan intersection in Caturtunggal, Depok, Sleman. They brought 10 demands to the protest. Masses dressed entirely in black crowded the intersection area, unfurling banners and posters of various sizes and using a pickup truck as a speaker’s platform. The attendees were not only students but also included academics, activists, labourers, and online motorcycle taxi drivers. Representatives from these various groups took turns giving speeches, shouting their demands, with some also reading poems of resistance. “We ask on this occasion that President Prabowo and the Vice President, who are still sane and pro-people, review all the problematic programmes,” shouted Professor Masduki, a Professor of Media and Journalism Studies in the Communication Science Programme at the Indonesian Islamic University (UII), during his oration on Saturday (13/6). As a result of the mass action, traffic flow towards the Gejayan intersection from the north, west, and south was completely closed, with police diverting vehicles to alternative routes.