Mulia Budi, Jakarta – Protesters from the Defend Palestine Indonesian People's Alliance (ARI-BP) held a defend Palestine action at the US Embassy in Central Jakarta on Sunday October 6 after holding a long-march from the nearby National Monument (Monas).
The long-march from Monas arrived at the US Embassy at 6.35 am. The action took up the theme A Joint Struggle Commemorating 1 Year of Genocide in Gaza and 76 Years of Palestinian Resistance, with the protesters carrying pieces of cloth symbolically soaked in blood.
Not all the demonstrators joined the long-march. Some had already gathered at the US Embassy on Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan, which had been closed off in the direction of Monas and the Gambir train station.
The demonstrators were seen wearing clothing with white and black nuances. They also carried Palestinian flags and posters reading "Stop the Genocide', and wore turbans and head bands reading "Palestine".
The action began with the reading of a prayer for Palestine and zikir (chants in praise of Allah).
"Okay, let's start with zikir that we will send to heaven. We ask God to give his blessings, approval", said Islamic Brotherhood Front (FPI, formerly Islamic Defenders Front) General Secretary Buya Husein, who led the zikir.
The crowd also sung the Indonesian national anthem Indonesia Raya then chanted holy verses from the Qur'an.
World embassy of double standards
During the action at the US Embassy, the demonstrators called on people to reject the double standards in the war raging between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
"And also we stand together in front of an embassy building or what we may call the United States world embassy of double standards, we here reject all forms of double standards because what is the difference between us and our sisters and brothers in Palestine. This is not an issue of religion, gender, this is a humanitarian issue", said Indonesian Youth Alliance for Palestine coordinator Abdullah Mudarik in a speech in front of the embassy.
Mudarik said the action represents a form of good deeds for the 1945 Constitution and that it is also a form of love for the state and the people of Palestine. "So we stand here as a form of love for our country and as a form of love for our sisters and brothers in Palestine", he said.
He said there is an irony because the Palestinian people have not yet felt independence. He invited the protesters to continue the struggle for Palestine and not to stop until the action is finished.
"It's truly ironic, we can loudly shout independence but our sisters and brothers in Palestine have not yet and will not taste it", Abdullah said. "So let us pledge to each other that at this commemoration of one year that the struggle will continue", he added.
He also invited the demonstrators to call for "Free Palestine".
"Free, free Palestine, free, free Palestine. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. Palestine, Palestine, free, free. Israel, Israel, go to hell [in a mix of English and Indonesian]", he called followed by the protesters.
[Abridged translation by James Balowski based on two articles by Detik News. The original title of the lead article was "Long March dari Monas, Massa Aksi Bela Palestina Tiba di Depan Kedubes AS".]
