Riau Erupts as Residents Protest Massive Palm Oil Land Seizures

Thousands of residents in Indonesia’s Riau province have taken to the streets to protest the government’s sweeping seizure of palm oil plantations under a national forestry task force. The operation, launched this year by President Prabowo Subianto’s team, has targeted plantations deemed illegally established in forest zones. An estimated 3.7 million hectares have been taken over nationwide, with nearly half handed to state-owned Agrinas Palma Nusantara, instantly making it the world’s largest palm oil company by land size.

Palm Oil Land Seizures

In Pekanbaru, around 2,800 protesters gathered near the prosecutor’s office, demanding a halt to all task force and Agrinas activities in Riau. KOMMARI secretary general Abdul Aziz said residents want clear proof of land rights and insist the matter should be settled in court, not by unilateral seizures. Agrinas defended the crackdown, arguing it is rooted in existing laws and aims to restore state control over forest areas. More than 1,300 personnel were deployed to secure the rally.

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