United States flags burned, Japanese flag hauled down
United States flags burned, Japanese flag hauled down
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Students in Makassar, South Sulawesi, and Surabaya, East Java,
defied a government ban and burned U.S. flags in separate anti-
U.S. rallies on Tuesday.
In Makassar, hundreds of students from various groups rallied
at different locations, including at the provincial legislative
assembly compound, the Japanese consulate and even the city's
largest shopping mall.
Some of the protesters were seen burning U.S. and British
flags in a protest against the U.S. and British attacks on
Afghanistan.
"We only want to show our solidarity for the fate of Afghans.
Violence versus violence will only victimize civilians," said
Iswari Al Farisy from the National Mandate Party Youth Front.
At the Japanese consulate, the protesting students, claiming
to be from the Indonesian Muslim University, forced consular
officials to haul down the Japanese rising sun flag from the
staff.
The students initially demanded that Japan withdraw its
support for the attacks on Afghanistan.
Through a loudspeaker, a Japanese consular official announced
that the consulate would convey their message to the Japanese
government.
The students, however, were not satisfied and demanded that
the consulate haul down the rising sun. Their demand was met
after the students broke the glass cover of the consulate's name
board.
Other groups of protesters marched toward Makassar's largest
shopping mall, Ratu Indah Mall, where hundreds of them listened
to speeches in front of a McDonalds outlet calling on visitors
and passersby to boycott U.S. products.
The protesters then covered the McDonalds sign with a black
cloth. They did the same thing to a nearby Kentucky Fried Chicken
sign.
In Surabaya, hundreds of students picketed the U.S. consulate,
where they burned U.S. and British flags, as well as an effigy of
U.S. President George W. Bush.
The police took no action even though the government had
expressly banned the burning of the flags or symbols of other
nations, or effigies of their heads of state.
Different groups of protesters rallied at the consulate, which
remained closed on Tuesday.
The protests, nevertheless, ended peacefully.
In Yogyakarta, some 300 protesters from various student
organizations continued with their anti-U.S. protests on Tuesday.
The protesters, from the Indonesian Muslim Students' Action
Front (KAMMI), the Justice Party's Youth Front, Anti-America and
Zionist Movement (GAZAK), and the Al-Qairat group, rallied at the
provincial legislative assembly compound.
They shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great) and other slogans,
carried banners reading "Afghanistan under attack, jihad will
ensue!" "Muslims are not terrorists", "Bush is the real
terrorist", and "God damn the USA."
A protester from GAZAK, Sidik Ahmadi, said his group was ready
to travel to Afghanistan to help Afghans fight against the U.S.
and its allies.
The protesters dispersed peacefully about 2.30 p.m.
In Medan, North Sumatra, students protests colored the city on
Tuesday.
The students, tightly guarded by the police, marched to the
local office of TVRI state television where they delivered
speeches for about 45 minutes.
From there, the student protesters marched to the provincial
administration offices, but they failed to meet the governor.
They then dispersed peacefully.