Indonesia police arrest protesters after Surabaya rally

Indonesian police detained dozens of protesters following an anti-government demonstration in the city of Surabaya, as public anger over rising fuel prices and government policies continued to grow.

Around 100 people gathered near a government building on Friday to protest a recent increase in fuel prices and President Prabowo Subianto‍‍`s flagship free meals programme, according to AFP journalists at the scene.

The protest turned tense after some demonstrators threw rocks at police and set fire to piles of rubbish on the road, prompting officers to move in and make arrests.

Fatkul Khoir, a coordinator at rights group KontraS Surabaya, said 24 protesters were detained. He said they were questioned until early Saturday morning but were not formally charged.

Surabaya Police Chief Luthfie Sulistiawan said officers took what he described as "firm action" after some protesters attacked security personnel with projectiles. He confirmed that dozens of people had been arrested but did not provide an exact figure.

Demonstrations have spread across several Indonesian cities this month after the government increased the price of non-subsidised gasoline by about 30 percent, citing growing fiscal pressure linked to higher global energy costs.

Thousands of students have also taken to the streets in Jakarta, demanding the reversal of the fuel price hike and calling for the suspension of the government‍‍`s multi-billion-dollar free meals programme.

The initiative, one of President Prabowo‍‍`s key election pledges, has faced criticism over its cost and reports of food poisoning incidents. Parts of the programme have since been suspended.

Indonesia has witnessed repeated protests since Prabowo took office in 2024. The largest demonstrations erupted in August and September, initially over benefits for lawmakers before expanding into wider unrest following the death of a delivery driver who was struck by a police vehicle.

Rights groups said those protests left 10 people dead and led to thousands of arrests, although most detainees were later released.