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View all search resultsGibran’s outreach to student protesters prompts scrutiny over his political motives
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Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka (center) talks with student protesters after receiving them in a meeting at the Vice Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta on June 15, 2026. In the meeting, Gibran reportedly took notes of their concerns in a small notebook. (Antara/Fauzan)
V
ice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s decision to engage with student protesters amid waves of demonstrations against President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship programs has raised questions about whether the move is aimed at increasing his political visibility and the possibility of a meaningful policy response.
Fresh waves of student-led demonstrations have swept Jakarta and several other cities over the past week, as protesters vent their anger over what they describe as the government’s failure to address mounting economic pressures while pursuing costly spending programs.
Amid the continuing street protests in the capital, Gibran on Monday invited 15 student representatives protesting near the Arjuna Wijaya Statue, about 900 meters from the Vice Presidential Palace, for a closed-door meeting at his office that lasted roughly an hour.
The students, part of the student executive bodies (BEM) of Bung Karno University and MH Thamrin University, demanded that the government halt the multitrillion-rupiah free nutritious meal program, as well as the Red and White Cooperatives program, both flagship initiatives of Prabowo’s presidency.
The move came as President Prabowo has yet to publicly address the protest, while senior officials in his cabinet have largely defended his programs, arguing that the free meals initiative is a core campaign promise that should be improved in its implementation rather than discontinued.
Read also: Growing discontent with policymaking keeps students on streets
A short video of the meeting was posted on Gibran’s Instagram account later that day, showing him greeting students, inquiring about their protest, taking notes of their concerns in a small notebook, and saying that the government “acknowledged that there are still shortcomings” in the implementation of the programs.
