Thousands of Indonesians rallied across the country on Friday, protesting budget cuts introduced by President Prabowo Subianto’s administration to fund high-profile campaign promises, including a free meal program for schoolchildren.
The austerity measures, announced in late January, aimed to save 306.7 trillion rupiah ($18.8 billion) by slashing office expenses, ceremonies, and business trips.
The cuts have left some civil servants working under dim lighting and other strict energy-saving conditions, according to a report by Agence France-Press (AFP).
President Prabowo, a former general who assumed office in October, plans to raise around $46 billion from these spending reductions and dividends from state-owned enterprises.
Analysts suggest the savings will be redirected toward initiatives such as the $4.3 billion free-meal plan to combat child stunting and a new sovereign wealth fund.
The spending cuts have sparked nationwide protests, driven by the social media movement “Dark Indonesia” (#IndonesiaGelap).
Calls to join the demonstrations and skip work on Friday spread rapidly online, amplifying frustrations over the government’s fiscal policies.
Protesters rallied under the “Dark Indonesia” banner in several cities, including Jakarta, Surabaya, and Yogyakarta. In Yogyakarta, hundreds gathered in the city center, denouncing the government’s budget strategy.
“I believe all Indonesians who have a heart, mind and morals will feel restless seeing the current conditions,” protest coordinator Rendra Setiawan told AFP ahead of the demonstration.
He added, “This restlessness came from the new government’s incompetence to resolve the nation’s issues.”
In Surabaya, East Java, hundreds of students and NGO workers dressed in black T-shirts staged a sit-in outside the local council office.
They held banners reading “Bad Grades for the Fat Cabinet” and “One President, Multiple Incidents,” while police maintained a watchful presence.
Tensions also ran high in Jakarta, where protesters on Thursday burned a tire near the presidential palace and demanded the government re-evaluate the free meal program.
The demonstrators were met by State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, who assured them that their concerns would be conveyed to the administration.
