Antiwar protests continue in Indonesia<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Protests against the invasion of Iraq by the United States and
\nits allies continued across the country on Saturday with calls
\nfor an immediate end to the war that has claimed hundreds of
\ninnocent lives, including women and children.<\/p>\n
In Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi, about 3,000
\npeople, mostly students from Muhammadiyah, the nation's second-
\nlargest Muslim organization, gathered at the Mandala Monument on
\nJl. Jend. Sudirman.<\/p>\n
\"The war must be stopped as it has claimed the lives of
\ninnocent people, including children and women,\" they shouted.<\/p>\n
The protesters, including elementary school pupils, carried
\nposters with messages saying, among others, \"Stop the War,\" and
\n\"Bush is a terrorist,\" referring to U.S President George W. Bush.<\/p>\n
The U.S. is leading a coalition force to overthrow president
\nSaddam Hussein, claiming he produced and retained weapons of mass
\ndestruction. Most Indonesians believe the U.S. wants Iraq's vast
\noil reserves.<\/p>\n
The invasion, opposed by most members of the United Nations
\nSecurity Council, has drawn strong condemnation from around the
\nglobe. Antiwar protests occur on a daily basis in front of the
\nembassies of the U.S. and its allies around the world.<\/p>\n
In Palembang, South Sumatra, hundreds of students from Raden
\nFatah Islamic University held an antiwar protest at the fountain
\ncircle near Ampera Bridge to urge the South Sumatra
\nadministration to collect humanitarian funds for war victims in
\nIraq. They also collected money from passersby, motorists and bus
\npassengers.<\/p>\n
In Pontianak, West Kalimantan, dozens of high school students
\ncalled for Bush to be tried as a war criminal.<\/p>\n
The U.S. and its allies, the protesters said, had offended
\nhumanity and ignored human rights.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, thousands of Catholics in Surabaya, East Java held
\na public prayer at Saint Mary of the Immaculate Church on Jl.
\nNgagel Madya on Saturday for the civilian victims of the
\ninvasion.<\/p>\n
In Bandung, West Java, organizers of a demonstration planned
\nfor Sunday were hoping about 10,000 people would attend. A number
\nof organizations, students, political parties were said to have
\nconfirmed their attendance.<\/p>\n
Organizations and political parties planning to join the
\nprotest includes the Indonesian Muslim Students Action Front
\n(KAMMI), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the Association of
\nIslamic Students and the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI).<\/p>\n
Last Sunday, several religious groups took part in a massive
\nrally involving hundreds of thousands of protesters in Jakarta.<\/p>",
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