Thousands of Semarang students protest economic woes, demand reforms

More than a thousand university students in Semarang, Indonesia, took to the streets to voice their discontent with the current economic situation and government policies. The demonstration, held on Monday, June 15, 2026, saw students from various institutions, including Diponegoro University, Semarang State University, and UIN Walisongo Semarang, gather outside the Central Java Governor's Office and the Provincial DPRD.

Under the banner of "Panca Tuntutan Rakyat" (Pantura), or the Five Demands of the People, the students articulated their grievances. Key demands included calls to lower fuel prices, stabilize the Indonesian rupiah's exchange rate, return the military and police to their primary functions, conduct a total evaluation of specific government programs (MBG and KDMP), restore land ownership to the people, and halt corrupt practices in government.

Protesters displayed banners with slogans such as "Desa ga pake dolar, Prabowo ga pake nalar" (Villages don't use dollars, Prabowo doesn't use reason) and "Reformasi mati" (Reform is dead), repeatedly chanting "reformasi." Some students from the Himpunan Mahasiswa Islam (HMI) Semarang branch engaged in a tire-burning protest in front of the Governor's Office, expressing their opposition to what they described as the increasingly repressive policies of President Prabowo Subianto's administration.

The demonstration was met with a significant security response, with hundreds of TNI and Polri personnel deployed to maintain order. The President of the Student Executive Board (BEM) at Semarang State University, Septia Linasari, stated that over 1,000 individuals participated in the event. The students' actions reflect a broader sentiment of dissatisfaction with economic governance and a call for renewed reform.