Nation weeps for Iraq after attack

Nation weeps for Iraq after attack

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

When the United States and its allies started their attack on
Iraq at about 10 a.m. Jakarta time on Thursday, thousands of
people took turns demonstrating outside the U.S. Embassy to
demand a stop to what they called an attack on humanity.

Students, non-governmental and religious groups and supporters
of the Justice Party (PK) and its affiliate the Welfare Justice
Party (PKS) voiced their objection to the use of armed force to
resolve the Iraq crisis.

About 500 officers from the police's mobile brigade and riot
police stood by outside the embassy on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan
in Central Jakarta to keep protesters a safe distance from the
embassy fence. All rallies proceeded peacefully.

Heightened security was also apparent at the embassies of
Britain, Australia and Kuwait.

U.S. Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce invited in representatives of
the protesters for one hour to hear their demands and to explain
why the U.S., under the administration of George W. Bush, had
resorted to attacking Iraq to resolve the crisis.

The representatives included PK president Hidayat Nur Wahid
and PK secretary-general M. Anis Matta, PKS chairman Almuzammil
Yusuf, Red-and-White Young Generation (GMMP) chairman Adhyaksa
Dault, Indonesian Prayer Group (Badan Kontak Majelis Ta'lim)
chairwoman Tuti Alawiyah, Indonesian Hizbut Tahrir spokesman
Muhammad Ismail Yusanto and Catholic Youth (Pemuda Katolik)
chairman Nicolaus Uskono.

"We're both fully aware that nothing could be done to stop the
war. The ambassador also said that he could not change our
opposition to U.S. policy on Iraq," Anis Matta told reporters.

Nevertheless, Nur Wahid stressed that they would keep up the
pressure. "The United Nations Security Council should declare
Bush a war criminal for conducting state terrorism and bring him
before a UN tribunal".

Employees of companies located near the embassy joined the
demonstrators during their lunch breaks. About 2,500 people
rallied outside the embassy, where a band played religious songs.
Tears rolled down the faces of protesters during a prayer for the
safety of Iraqis.

The protesters said they would return in larger numbers on
Sunday and also rally outside the British Embassy.

In Surabaya, hundreds of supporters of the East Java branch of
PK also demonstrated at the Governor Suryo Statue Park, since the
police had blocked off access to the U.S. consulate.

"There is no invasion or aggression in the name of democracy.
It (the attack) only means that the U.S. is the world's savage
police and want to occupy Iraq," PK member Ahmad Ridho said in
his speech. The protesters dispersed after two hours.

They claimed a bigger demonstration would take place on
Friday.

In Semarang, the police arrested six students from Sultan
Agung University involved in the burning of a paper effigy of
Bush inside the Central Java council compound on Jl. Pahlawan
during an antiwar demonstration.

They were released later in the afternoon after the university
deputy rector on student affairs, Mahfudz Ali, spoke to city
police head of operations Comr. Yudi Suwarto.

The demonstrators clashed with the police when the students
poured gasoline on the effigy to boost the fire and council
workers rushed to put it out.