Protests Erupt Against State Takeover of Palm Oil Plantations in Indonesia’s Riau

Thousands of residents in Indonesia’s Riau province took to the streets to protest against the government’s forestry task force’s takeover of palm oil plantations, as reported by Reuters. The task force, led by President Prabowo Subianto, has been cracking down on allegedly illegal palm oil plantations in forest areas, raising concerns about global supply disruptions. Approximately 3.7 million hectares of plantations have been seized, and nearly half have been transferred to the state-run company Agrinas Palma Nusantara, making it the world’s largest palm oil company by land size.