Jakarta. Islamic Defenders Front, or FPI, an Islamist hardline group, has staged a protest in front of the Embassy of France building at Jalan MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta on Monday.

Hundreds of protesters bring posters with caricatures and photos of the face of French President Emmanuel Macron, who they deemed disrespectful toward Islam and the Muslim community worldwide.

Indonesian police personnels have secured Jalan MH Thamrin, directly in front of the French Embassy building. Barbed wire and a concrete barrier had been installed before the crowd with a police command car parked at the Sarinah Mall's front. During the demonstration, the traffic flow on Jalan MH Thamrin towards the Hotel Indonesia roundabout was closed and diverted to other road sections.

The Islamists criticized President Emmanuel Macron's 'anti-islam' statements. In their oration, the protesters called Macron with a new nickname 'Macaroni'. The protesters demanded that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo condemn the French president's statement and close the country's embassy, call for nationwide boycott of French goods and services, and expel French people from Indonesia.