Protesters target U.S. fast-food outlets

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Hundreds of Muslims activists forced the closure of an American fast-food franchise in Surabaya, East Java, as nationwide rallies to protest the U.S.-led war in Iraq continued on Friday.

The Muslim protesters, who represented the Indonesian Muslim Student Association (KAMMI) and the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), forced the McDonald's restaurant in Darmo Raya area to close at around 3:15 p.m. under the eyes of police officers.

Surabaya Police chief Sr. Comr. Ilham S. said he let the closure take place after the restaurant's duty manager, Imron, agreed to the activists' demand.

"As a security officer, I'm responsible only for maintaining order, and to close the restaurant they had to ask for the management's approval. I could not intervene," Ilham said.

There were only a few customers eating in the restaurant when the anti-American protesters forced it to close, one of the restaurant employees said. "They finished their meals despite the closure," he said.

All of the restaurant's 25 employees looked on when the activists placed a plastic chain around the front door of the restaurant and attached to it a banner reading: "Sealed. Boycott American products."

No violence broke out during the move, which followed a street rally in downtown Surabaya. The protesters held a rally in front of the American Consulate General, situated 100 meters from the restaurant and prayed there.

Student activists in Bandung also posted signs to mark the closure of several Kentucky Fried Chicken and Dunkin Donuts outlets on Jl. Merdeka and Jl. Juanda.

Unlike activists in Surabaya, the Bandung students allowed the restaurants to continue operating.

One student, Joko Suryono, said the move served as a warning for people not to consume American products.

The move to target perceived U.S. interests has increased in the past few days. Dozens of Islamic Youth Movement (GPI) members rallied in front of the McDonald's outlet at Sarinah shopping center on Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta and stopped customers from entering the restaurant on Wednesday. Earlier on Tuesday anti-U.S. protesters scared away customers of another American fast-food restaurant, Kentucky Fried Chicken, in the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu.

Anti-American protesters in Indonesia have demanded a boycott on American products and the severance of diplomatic ties with Washington. The government has dismissed the demands.

Solahuddin Wahid, deputy chairman of the country's largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, urged Indonesians to remain calm and not to attack the interests of the U.S. and its allies, as happened in East Java when protesters sealed off a franchise of fast-food restaurant McDonald's.

"The employees are our people and this act will hurt them," said Solahuddin, who is also a deputy chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).

In Jakarta, over 1,000 people from different groups turned up for rallies to urge the U.S.-led coalition to stop the war in Iraq.

At least eight groups of protesters, mostly from Islamic groups and students, took turns to rally in front of the U.S. Embassy on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan in Jakarta.

The rallies proceeded peacefully but it were tainted by students pelting the embassy with tomatoes and water bombs.

Some protesters also burned posters of U.S. President George W. Bush.

The protesters represented the Student Executive Body (BEM) of Banten Province, National University, the United Development Party, the Indonesian Student Front, the Association of Indonesian Psychics (IPI), the Association of Islamic Mass Organizations (Goib), KAMMI and Forpin.

They voiced similar concerns about the war and the loss of innocent lives it would cause.

"War will only incur losses as children lose their parents, wives lose their husbands and people live in terror and depression," said one group of students in a statement.

About 600 police personnel guarded the embassy during the rally.

Similar rallies also took place in the North Sumatra capital of Medan, the Bali capital of Denpasar, the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar, Semarang and many other cities.

Meanwhile, the Jakarta Police have asked the public not to stage night rallies so as not to disturb public order.