Key facts
- Performance art projects use traditional dance and masks to depict the impact of haze.
- Protests in multiple cities express dissatisfaction with the government's handling of the crisis.
- Activists have criticized the government's response, linking it to a "National Disaster."
As wildfires continue to rage across Sumatra and Kalimantan, Indonesians are increasingly using art and protest to voice their frustration and demand action. Performance art collectives like Jaga Api are creating viral content, such as "The Dance of Cultural Destruction," which uses traditional dance and imagery to highlight the environmental and cultural toll of the haze. Other groups, like the Zwageri Generation, have been inspired to create similar performances on burnt peatland. Meanwhile, protests have erupted in cities across Indonesia, with students and activists criticizing the government's perceived inaction and corruption in handling the crisis. Demonstrators have called for the fires to be extinguished immediately and have linked the ongoing haze to a "National Disaster" under President Prabowo Subianto's administration. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency stated that over 60,000 firefighters are involved in combating the fires.