Thousands of students staged 'Dark Indonesia' protests in cities across the country on Thursday against budget cuts and other policies of President Prabowo Subianto, fearing they will undermine social support systems and their futures.

From office lights switched off to out-of-service lifts, Indonesian civil servants are feeling the pinch after President Prabowo Subianto ordered sweeping budget cuts across government that he said will fund his big-ticket campaign pledges.

Students rallied in Jakarta and other Indonesian cities on Thursday to protest President Prabowo Subianto’s state budget revamp that has threatened contractual workers’ jobs, rolled back scholarships and dimmed lighting at government offices.