JAKARTA – Thousands of protesters flooded Jakarta’s iconic Bundaran HI roundabout on Oct 28 to rally against the government’s response to haze, rising living costs, and alleged corruption among public officials.
The protest, which was held to coincide with Indonesia’s Youth Pledge Day, included participants from various universities and civil society groups, part of a loose coalition united by the hashtag #IndonesiaSadar (#IndonesiaAwake).
One of the largest groups, spearheaded by the University of Indonesia student association, had five demands. The first, which was echoed by protesters in other cities across the country, was for the government to declare the forest fires that continue to burn in Sumatra and Kalimantan a national disaster.
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