Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, March 30, 2003
Hundreds of Thousands Hold Anti-US Protest in Jakarta
The anti-war and anti-US protest wave apparently gained momentum here on Sunday when hundreds of thousands of Indonesians have taken to the street in the capital of this country.
The anti-war and anti-US protest wave apparently gained momentum here on Sunday when hundreds of thousands of Indonesians have taken to the street in the capital of this country.
Groups upon groups of protesters, carrying flags and "No War" banners, staged demonstrations along the two major streets of JL Thammrin and Sudirman, Central Jakarta, and then proceeded to the British embassy, the United Nations' representative office and theUS embassy, expressing their strong opposition against the US-led aggression in Iraq.
People from all walks of life, including students, professionals, religious groups, political parties and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), attended Sunday's peaceful protest.
The rally's coordinator, Hidayat Nurwahid, told the media on Saturday that at least 200,000 people have confirmed their participation in the protest, the largest in Jakarta since the United States and its allies launched the intrusion into Iraq on March 20.
Hidayat, who is also the coordinator of the Indonesian Committee in Solidarity with Iraqi People (Kisra), said they call for an immediate end to the invasion and a peaceful solution for the standoff between the United States and Iraq.
The angry demonstrators also urged the United Nations to take concrete actions to stop the war in Iraq.