JAKARTA: On Tuesday, thousands of people demonstrated in Indonesia largest cities, calling on the government to drop plans to increase the price of subsidised fuel for the first time in eight years despite skyrocketing inflation.
Joko Widodo President of Indonesia under pressure to contain a soaring energy subsidy budget, claimed on Saturday that he had no alternative but to reduce the subsidy and allow fuel prices to climb by approximately 30% in the 270 million-person nation.
The price of oil has increased by nearly 32% since last year. A number of student and labour group-led protests have taken place in and around the capital city of Jakarta as well as in Surabaya, Makassar, Kendari, Aceh, and Yogyakarta.
Police predict that this week’s protests could gather sizable crowds.To prevent them from becoming the objects of growing resentment over a price increase that unions claim will mostly harm workers and the urban poor, thousands of police officers were deployed throughout Jakarta, many of whom were stationed at gas stations.
Abdul Aris, a union representative, lamented the current state of the workforce and vowed to continue battling until the government relented.Small demonstrations against the decision, which comes amid rising food prices and an economy still reeling from the effects of the coronavirus outbreak, took place over the weekend and on Monday.
Tyres were burned, and some highways were blocked.On Tuesday, tens of thousands rallied in Jakarta to protest the government’s decision and demand an increase in the minimum wage.
