Students Clash with Police During Protest against Fuel Price Hike in Jakarta
Translator
Editor
15 September 2022 19:27 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The demonstration held today against the hike in subsidized fuel prices in the Horse Statue area near Monas, Jakarta, turned into chaos as the police pushed back students who are members of the National Association of University Student Executive Bodies (BEM SI) down the road.
Students also damaged the barbed wire and concrete barricades installed by the police. As a result, a student was injured for falling onto the barbed wire and was hit by his colleague.
The students’ group in its statement released on Instagram stated that the protest is a follow-up ultimatum issued on September 8, 2022. “We are once again disappointed by the government who did not fulfill our demands,” BEM SI wrote on its Instagram post, Wednesday, September 14, 2022.
The students voiced three demands. They urged the government to revoke the decision on the increase in fuel prices, delay national strategic projects that do not have a direct impact on the people, and instead divert the budget to fuel subsidies, and strictly apply regulations on subsidized fuel consumption.
“The increase in fuel prices which is then followed by the increase in prices of basic commodities has further suffocated the people,” he remarked.
On September 8, 2022, BEM SI staged a similar protest at the same place. They issued an ultimatum to the government to return the price of fuel to its original number, otherwise more demonstrations would take to the streets with more participants.
Other than BEM SI, people from various elements and backgrounds also staged demonstrations, rejecting the policy of rising fuel prices by President Jokowi’s government.
MUHSIN SABILILLAH
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
