No Trump, No Cry
Jakarta. Demonstrators burned tires in front of the United States Embassy in Jakarta on Friday (08/12) to protest against President Donald Trump's move to formally recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, despite overwhelming global condemnation.
The protesters were members of local Islamic mass organizations who waved Palestinian flags, held up anti-America posters and chanted Islamic prayers as their friends set fire to the tires.
Crowds started gathering in front of the embassy at 1.30 p.m. just after the Friday prayer. Police in their numbers were at the site. Traffic snaked along Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan in the leafy suburb of Menteng where the embassy is located.
Many children joined their parents in the protest. A lot of them wore Muslim garb, with headscarfs for the women and white skullcaps for the men.
Some of the demonstrators carried a poster of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo with the words "Indonesia Defends Palestine" emblazoned across it.
"This is a show of our overwhelming support for the Palestinians. We demand that the President pay very close attention to this issue," said a demonstrator whose face was covered with a turban.
Another demonstrator carried a poster with the words "Fuck you Trump," which elicited mixed reaction from the crowd.
"We're Muslims, we can't say things like this," another demonstrator told the protester who was carrying the anti-Trump poster.
"Yes, I can. Everyone needs to know that this [pointing to the word "fuck"] is what he has been doing to us [Indonesia]," the man carrying the anti-Trump poster replied excitedly.
Trump on Wednesday made an announcement recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel — reversing nearly 70 years of American foreign policy and ordered the US Embassy in Tel Aviv to be moved to the Holy City.
"I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel," the US president said in a speech from the White House.
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