Thousands stage anti-U.S. rally
Thousands stage anti-U.S. rally
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Several thousand members from the Muslim-based Justice Party (PK)
participated on Friday afternoon in a rally here to condemn the
U.S. bombardment of Afghanistan.
The demonstration was led by the party's president Hidayat
Nurwahid. It was also attended by the party's executives
including Salim Segaf Al Jufri, Nasir Zein, Annies Matta and Daud
Rasyid.
The protesters began their rally at 1 p.m. at the National
Monument park in Central Jakarta. They marched along Jl. Medan
Merdeka and Jl. Thamrin to Hotel Indonesia.
During their march they stopped outside the U.S. Embassy on
Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan to hear Hidayat's speech, condemning
the strikes.
About 700 police officers guarding the embassy allowed them to
continue with their rally without incident.
After making his speech from an open pick-up truck, Hidayat
asked the protesters to proceed to the UN building on Jl.
Thamrin. There, he insisted that the United Nations must take
steps to stop the U.S.-led strikes against Afghanistan because
they could not be justified for any reason.
He also required that United Nations must hold a special
meeting and issue a resolution to stop all U.S. action.
Most of the rally's participants, either men or women, wore
white Muslim accouterments. They carried banners reading "Stop
War, Save Afghan", "Go to Hell Zionist" and yelled "Allahu Akbar"
during the rally.
The march ended at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, where
Hidayat again exhorted the crowd and made clear his party's
official position on the strikes.
"The Justice Party demands the U.S government to stop its
aggression and brutality against Afghanistan," Hidayat said
before his members.
He also asked the Indonesian government to make an explicit
condemnation of the U.S. strikes, while praising President
Megawati Soekarnoputri's latest statement about it.
Hidayat also declared the establishment of the Indonesia
Committee for Afghanistan Solidarity (KISA) a group which will be
chaired by Salim. KISA, according to Hidayat, is aimed at giving
assistance to Afghans, particularly refugees.
"This committee will reveal to the world that amid crisis
here, we can stand up and turn our attention elsewhere," he said.
After the rally, Hidayat added that some parties of Islamic
organizations had informally supported the committee's
establishment, including Hasyim Muzadi from Nahdlatul Ulama and
Dien Syamsuddin from Muhammadiyah.
"We're arranging to send some 1,000 paramedics to help the
(Afghan) refugees," he told reporters.
When asked about Vice President Hamzah Haz's statement that
anti-U.S. demonstrations should be stopped because they were
destroying the government's efforts to improve the Indonesian
economy, Hidayat said he did not believe that Hamzah Haz would
make such a statement.
"I haven't heard about it yet. But I'm not sure that Pak
Hamzah will ban such demonstrations, which are aimed at seeking
justice, defending Islam, and condemning terrorism by the U.S.,"
said Hidayat.
"Conversely, I hope Pak Hamzah will position himself on the
frontline in condemning the American actions."
He refuted the statement made by the Indonesian Intelligence
Agency Chief, A.M. Hendropriyono, that the anti-U.S.
demonstrators' main goal was to topple Megawati's government.
"Demonstrators, particularly from the Justice Party, have no
such agenda. Those who made such accusations have no conscience
and do not understand what justice is. They approve the U.S.
aggression against Afghanistan," he asserted.
Meanwhile in Bogor, a group of students, who claimed to be
members of the Inter-Campus Association of Moslem Students
Against the U.S Attack on Afghanistan, were reported to have
blackmailed a number of U.S.-related businesses, including
Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonald's.
They demanded that each of the restaurants give them Rp 2
million so they would not vandalize the establishments, but after
negotiations the group made away with only Rp 200,000.