Key facts
- Hundreds of security personnel deployed in Jakarta ahead of student protests.
- Protests target President Prabowo Subianto's policies and government's handling of forest fires.
- Students demand wildfires be declared a national disaster and populist spending be halted.
Hundreds of Indonesian security personnel were deployed in Jakarta on Wednesday in anticipation of student protests. The demonstrations are expected to target President Prabowo Subianto's policies and the government's response to ongoing wildfires in Sumatra and Borneo. Students from the University of Indonesia announced plans to protest in multiple locations, calling for the wildfires to be declared a national disaster and for a halt to populist spending programs. The protests are being conducted under the hashtag #IndonesiaAware. A significant police and military presence, including armored vehicles, was observed in central Jakarta on Wednesday morning. Similar protests have occurred in haze-stricken areas of Borneo and Sumatra.