Agencies, Jakarta – Hundreds of students and activists rallied in major cities across the country on Friday as part of the Indonesia Gelap (Dark Indonesia) protests, which oppose President Prabowo Subianto's policies, including Rp 306.7 trillion (US$19 billion) in spending cuts that the protesters claim undermine their support systems.
On the fifth day of the protests as the sky darkened and rain began to fall, thousands of demonstrators, many dressed in black, gathered in streets near the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta, carrying posters that read "The government consists of dumb people" and invoking Prabowo's beloved "first cat", saying if it could speak it would join the protests.
The week-long protests have been triggered by the Dark Indonesia social media movement, which is symbolic of the pessimism and bleak nature of the government policies, Herianto, a student leader joining one rally, said.
Retired Army general Prabowo, who took office in October last year, has ordered savings of $19 billion in administrative costs, official ceremonies and business trips, leaving many civil servants to work in dim light and amid other strict energy-saving conditions in their offices.
He said he wants to raise around $46 billion from spending cuts and dividends from state-owned enterprises.
The President has ordered the funds to be reallocated to his own populist programs, with the majority going to the $4.3 billion free nutritious meals program for schoolchildren to combat chronic stunting in the country, and to a new sovereign wealth fund, Danantara.
Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry recently hired influencer Deddy Corbuzier as a special staff member, while insisting on budget efficiency measures for other government institutions.
Such inconsistencies have driven discontent among protesters, especially university students, who face budget cuts for scholarships and fear that tuition fees will be increased in further efficiency measures.
Calls to join the anti-austerity protests spread widely on social media this week, accompanied by suggestions to skip work on Friday, with netizens adding #IndonesiaGelap hashtags to their posts.
As well as Jakarta, protestors rallied in the country's second-largest city Surabaya, East Jakarta, and in Yogyakarta, which is known as the "city of students" for its many educational institutions and cultural centers.
In Yogyakarta, hundreds gathered in the city center to protest the government cuts.
"I believe all Indonesians who have a heart, mind and morals will feel frustrated at seeing the current conditions," said protest coordinator Rendra Setiawan ahead of the demonstration.
"This frustration stems from the new government's incompetence in resolving the nation's problems."
In Surabaya, hundreds of students and NGO workers wearing black T-shirts sat on the ground in front of the local council office while holding banners that read "Bad grades for the fat cabinet" and "One president, multiple issues" while police stood guard.
Students are also protesting against expanded military participation in civilian roles and a lack of subsidized cooking gas.
"These policies delegitimize us as Indonesians," said university student Ridho Anwari Arifin at Friday's protest.
Protesters on Thursday burned a tire near the Presidential Palace in Jakarta and demanded the government re-evaluate the free meals program.
The demonstrators were met by State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi who promised he would discuss their demands with the government.
The protests are occurring four months after Prabowo became the country's eighth president, in an election that he won in a landslide.
While struggling to implement the austerity measures and roll out his populist programs, the President removed on Monday Satryo Soemantri Brodjonegoro from his post as higher education, science and technology minister and replaced him with Brian Yuliarto, a quantum physics professor from Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in West Java.