Calls for boycotts of U.S. products intensify<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The continuing war in Iraq has increased demands for a boycott of
\nUnited States' products nationwide in protest of the superpower's
\nleading role in the military invasion of the Middle East state.<\/p>\n
Some 50 students with the Solidarity Forum of Jayabaya
\nUniversity staged a rally outside the American Express Bank on
\nJl. H.R. Rasuna Said in South Jakarta on Wednesday, demanding
\nthat Indonesians boycott American interests and products.<\/p>\n
The rally turned ugly when the students began pelting the
\nbuilding's windows with paint missiles and eggs, colorfully
\nsoiling the windows and front lobby of the building.<\/p>\n
Fathia Syarif, the American Express Bank public affairs and
\ncommunications manager, refused to comment on the incident.<\/p>\n
Calls to boycott everything to with the U.S. and its Iraq
\ncoalition allies also took place in several other cities like
\nYogyakarta, Riau and Cilacap.<\/p>\n
In Yogyakarta, some 500 activists from the People's Anti-
\nImperialism Front (FRAI) marched about four kilometers from
\nGadjah Mada University to the U.S. franchise restaurant
\nMcDonald's in Malioboro Mall on Jl. Malioboro to picket the
\nrestaurant.<\/p>\n
The protesters also picketed two outlets of another U.S.-based
\nfranchise, Kentucky Fried Chicken on their way to Jl. Malioboro.<\/p>\n
\"We do this not because we want to disturb our brothers and
\nsisters who are making a living here. We are against
\nimperialism,\" yelled the protesters, while the others pasted
\nsigns to indicate that they had unofficially banned people from
\nthe restaurant.<\/p>\n
The call for a boycott of American interests also came from 70
\nmembers of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) who rallied in front
\nof the compound of American-linked oil company PT Caltex Pacific
\nIndonesia in the Riau town of Bengkalis, 100 kilometers north of
\nthe provincial capital Pekanbaru.<\/p>\n
The activists were met by a company executive Suwito Anggoro,
\nwho said the company understood the protesters' demands. Suwito,
\nhowever, asserted that the private company was not involved in
\npolitics and had no link to the U.S. government.<\/p>\n
\"Our focus is to increase the revenues of the governments of
\nIndonesia, Riau and regency where we operate our business,\"
\nSuwito told the demonstrators.<\/p>\n
In Cilacap, Central Java, nearly 3,000 protesters took to the
\nstreets to urge the government to sever diplomatic ties with the
\nU.S. in addition to their call for a boycott of U.S. products.<\/p>\n
Also participating in the rally were Regent Probo Yulastoro
\nand speaker of the regency's legislature Frans Lukman.<\/p>\n
The anti-U.S. rallies turned rowdy in Jakarta and Surabaya.<\/p>\n
Around 300 students from Syarief Hidayatulah State Islamic
\nUniversity pelted the British Embassy with water balloons and
\nthrew rotten tomatoes into the U.S. Embassy compound. They also
\nburned an effigy of U.S. President George W. Bush.<\/p>\n
In Surabaya, around 200 students from the Indonesian Muslim
\nStudents Action Front (KAMMI) also hurled rotten tomatoes at
\nthe U.S. Consulate. They forced their way into the consulate's
\ncompound, but a police cordon was finally able to halt their
\nsurge.<\/p>\n
In response to the antiwar rallies targeting American
\nrestaurants, Yanti Sukamdani, the chairperson of the Indonesian
\nHotel and Restaurant Industry (PHRI), expressed her
\ndisappointment, saying that the protests would adversely affect
\nthe restaurant industry.<\/p>\n
\"If the protests go too far and lead to the closure of the
\nrestaurants, Indonesia will pay the price dearly,\" Yanti told
\nreporters, on the sidelines of a national working meeting on
\ntourism here.<\/p>\n
\"Don't forget that the employees in those restaurants are
\nIndonesians. Should we sacrifice them?\"<\/p>\n
She said closures of the restaurants would also mean serious
\nconsequences for other businesses and their employees.<\/p>\n
\"Many people depend on the restaurant industry, such as
\nvegetable, meat and beverage suppliers,\" she said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/calls-for-boycotts-of-us-products-intensify-1447899208",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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