Thousands In Indonesia's Surabaya Protest Against High Fuel Prices - Reports

Thousands in Indonesia's Surabaya Protest Against High Fuel Prices - Reports

Several thousand people took part in a mass protest against high fuel prices and for increase in the minimum wage in the port city of Surabaya on the Indonesian island of Java, media reported on Monday

BANGKOK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th September, 2022) Several thousand people took part in a mass protest against high fuel prices and for increase in the minimum wage in the port city of Surabaya on the Indonesian island of Java, media reported on Monday.

Most protesters were members of trade unions and student organizations from all major cities of the East Java province, the Indonesian national newspaper Kompas reported.

The protest took the form of a "demonstration on wheels," with thousands of motorcycles, hundreds of cars belonging to demonstrators, as well as buses rented by them, the report said.

The protesters drove through Surabaya and held a rally on the square in front of the Grahadi State Building, regional government office.

The demonstrators demanded more active government intervention in pricing in the diesel and gasoline segment, as well as a 13% increase in the minimum wage in the province, according to Kompas.

Indonesia has been facing a wave of demonstrations in recent months due to soaring fuel prices. Several trade union organizations have announced plans for a nationwide strike, which may take place in October or November, unless the national and provincial authorities increase fuel subsidies that can keep prices at a level accessible to the masses.

Indonesia is the current holder of the G20 Presidency, hosting the next group's summit in Bali from November 15-16.

The Indonesian government responded to the demands of demonstrators and union leaders by explaining that an increase in subsidies is currently impossible due to budget overruns on such subsidies in 2022, and that the authorities are looking for other ways to address the situation in the fuel sector.