Indonesia: Protests over cost of living and fires linked to oil palm plantation clearing

According to Al Jazeera English, students and activists held protests in multiple locations across Indonesia on October 20, 2026. Protesters raised concerns about rising living costs, the economy and forest fires linked to land clearing for oil palm plantations.

Existing reports did not specify the cities involved, scale of participation, casualties or the Indonesian government’s response, nor did they provide further evidence on the area cleared, the extent of the fires’ impact or the specific parties responsible.