In brief
In Jakarta, workers rallied for President Prabowo Subianto after police were accused of illegally wiretapping him, while women marched to protest his handling of wildfires, a free‑meal program and a tax on sanitary products. The demonstrations underline rising public discontent over the administration’s environmental and economic decisions.
On Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, hundreds of Indonesian workers gathered in Jakarta to rally in support of President Prabowo Subianto while another group of women marched in protest against his policies. The workers’ demonstration followed allegations that police illegally wiretapped the president. At the same time, the women’s march highlighted concerns over forest fires, a free‑meal program, and a tax on sanitary products.
The workers’ rally was led by Labour Party Chairperson Said Iqbal, a special adviser to the president, who accused senior police officials of attempting to intercept Prabowo’s communications. He said the police had named four senior officers as suspects, including a former chief who was a loyalist of former president Joko Widodo. Iqbal called for unity to support the president and warned that union members could mobilise across every town, every factory, if unrest arose.
Said Iqbal
We can mobilise members of our organisation across every town, every factory.
Police suspicions stem from a scandal that has deepened the divide between Prabowo and his predecessor. The former police chief remains a key figure in the case, while a lawyer for one suspect said the client would cooperate with the investigation.
At the same time, civil‑society groups organized a women’s march in Jakarta. Protesters demanded greater women’s rights and opposed Prabowo’s handling of the persistent forest fires, the costly free‑meal programme, and the tax on women’s sanitary products. The march added to a series of protests against the president in recent months, including student rallies in the capital and other cities.
These parallel demonstrations illustrate growing public frustration with Prabowo’s policy choices and the administration’s environmental and economic handling.
