Jakarta (December 17, 2017): Tens of thousands of Muslims marched from the main mosque in Indonesia’s capital to a square in Jakarta on Sunday to protest against U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
According to foreign news agency it was the biggest protest in Indonesia since Trump’s controversial move earlier this month to reverse decades of U.S. policy. Police estimated the number attending the rally, organized by various Muslim groups, at about 80,000.
Many of the protesters were clad in white and waved Palestinian flags and held up placards, some reading: “Peace, love and free Palestine”.
The protest was peaceful but rows of police behind coils of barbed wire held back the crowd outside the U.S. embassy in Jakarta. A police spokesman said 20,000 police and members of the military were deployed to ensure security.
Addressing the protestors the secretary general of the Indonesian Ulema Council Anwar Abbas said that “We urge all countries to reject the unilateral and illegal decision of President Donald Trump to make Jerusalem Israel’s capital.”
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