#EmergencyIndonesia: Why Are Bandung Students Taking to the Streets?

September 11, 2026 | 10:13 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Over one hundred students from several universities in Bandung took to the streets to stage the #Indonesia Gawat Darurat (#EmergencyIndonesia) protest on Friday afternoon, September 11, 2026. The demonstration took place in the middle of the Dago-Cikapayang intersection, directly under the Pasteur-Surapati (Paspati) overpass.

The student protesters rallied from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) campus on Ganesha Street around 4:00 p.m. local time. According to Muhammad Faqih Azizan of KM ITB (Student Family of ITB), the protesters were joined by the West Java All-Indonesian Student Executive Board (BEM SI Jabar).

The students donned navy, blue, and red campus blazers.

In the middle of the intersection, the students created a large circle barricade using ropes. Unfurling banners and posters, the protesters took turns giving speeches and engaging in theatrical performances.

The circle of students was surrounded by uniformed and plainclothes police officers. The student protest inevitably caused traffic congestion, diverting traffic from Dago eastward or towards Gasibu Field.

The multi-dimensional problems of Indonesia

In their speeches, the students outlined various problems facing Indonesia: forest fires, the NTT earthquake, and declining public welfare, while the state budget is funnelled towards various populist programs.

The students believed that the crisis in Indonesia is rooted in the failure to implement good governance, which requires competence and leadership. Nahdah Nabillah, Head of the ITB Student Council Cabinet, claimed that ecological disasters that struck various regions indicate a recurring pattern of systemic crises.

This phenomenon is often reduced to extreme weather events or natural disasters alone. "This perspective ignores the fundamental root of the problem: weak mitigation and oversight that neglect public safety," Nahdah said in a statement on Friday, September 11, 2026.

Meanwhile, the macroeconomic indicators the government boasts often failed to benefit public welfare, where growth belies reality as jobs remain scarce and layoffs stay high. "Furthermore, populist programs continue without careful planning and comprehensive impact assessments," said Nahdah.

This problem is exacerbated by the government's lack of accountability in public communication.

To this day, these crises are seemingly normalized by the government, with environmental damage and social vulnerability considered a natural consequence of the development process. "At the same time, public criticism is often dismissed as mere noise," said Nahdah.

What are the students' demands?

In its statement, KM ITB demanded a swift response and commitment from the government to prioritize disaster management across Indonesia. The students also demanded the government implement long-term strategic prevention instead of a reactive response towards disaster. 

The students called for deep evaluation of the free nutritious meal and the village cooperative programs to ensure effectiveness, accuracy, and fiscal impact. 

KM ITB also demanded strategic policies to support research-based industrialization, innovation, and manufacturing to strengthen economic resilience and improve public welfare. "The government must immediately implement the principles of good governance through consistent, transparent, and accountable law enforcement and the implementation of a merit-based system across all government levels," Nahdah said.

Read: How Politicians Defused Asset Forfeiture Bill Protest

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