TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Students from various universities across West Java staged another demonstration in front of the West Java Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) building on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. This marks the third rally since Friday, June 12, 2026, with the same demand: calling for the termination of several government programs under President Prabowo Subianto that are deemed burdensome to the public.
Tempo observed that starting from 3:30 p.m., a coalition of student groups began occupying Jalan Diponegoro in Bandung. Police and military personnel were deployed around the demonstration site under tight security protocols. Several roads leading into the Jalan Diponegoro area were closed off, with police setting up roadblocks at multiple strategic intersections.
One of the coordinators for the West Java chapter of the All-Indonesia Student Executive Bodies (BEM SI), Muhamad Risaldi, stated that today's mobilization drew representatives from 23 campuses across West Java. According to him, the students participating in the rally are fueled by frustration because their grievances continue to be ignored by the state.
"This is an expression of our deep disappointment and an accumulation of anger, especially for those of us who have often voiced aspirations only to be completely ignored," Risaldi told reporters mid-protest.
Representing the ITB Student Family, Nahdah Nabillah HR asserted that the protests would not wind down today. She emphasized that students will continue to actively monitor government policies in line with their demands. Nahdah highlighted how irresponsible state programs are straining the national fiscal structure.
"We highlight points regarding fiscal responsibility measures aimed at improving governance, alongside issues related to extractive programs, the free nutritious meals project, and the urgent need to reallocate budgets and expenditures to boost the purchasing power of the people in Indonesia and the manufacturing," she said.
In addition, she criticized the central government's poor communication strategy. "And lastly, the most critical issue right now is for the government to immediately mend its internal coordination and build an effective communication system, because at this juncture, the public needs something based on data," she added.
The student protests in Bandung have now flared up three times since Friday, June 12, 2026. This wave of mass action was triggered by a series of Prabowo Subianto administration policies seen as detrimental to the public, including rising fuel prices, a weakening rupiah, and signature programs like the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) initiative, which critics slam as wasteful and prone to corruption.
Yet, throughout the three consecutive rallies staged outside the West Java DPRD building, not a single council member has stepped out to meet with the demonstrators. Furthermore, data from the Bandung Legal Aid Institute (LBH) reveals that at least 14 students were arrested by the police during the earlier protests on June 12 and 15, 2026.
The Bandung rally adds to a growing list of "Reformasi Jilid 2" (Reform Volume 2) demonstrations taking place across various cities today. In Jakarta, the Bung Karno University Student Executive Board (BEM) and the Paramadina University Student Senate (Sema) are also scheduled to protest outside the Presidential Palace today, while similar mass actions are simultaneously unfolding across several cities in Central Java and Sumatra.
Read: Why Student Boards Are Denying Links to 'BEM Bersatu'
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