In one of the largest public gatherings in Indonesia since the Israel-Hamas war broke out, nearly two million people converged at the National Monument on Sunday to express their solidarity with the Palestinians. The peaceful rally was organized by the Indonesian Ulema Council, the country’s highest Islamic authority, and supported by the government and various religious groups.
The protesters, dressed in white robes and black-and-white Palestinian scarves, waved Palestine flags and chanted slogans such as “Free Palestine” and “Indonesia defends Palestine”. They also called for a boycott of Israeli goods and an investigation of Israel’s hostilities in Gaza at the international court.
The rally was attended by several ministers and politicians.
Many protesters had traveled from different cities in Java by buses and motorcycles, and some had spent the night at the Istiqlal mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, before making their way to the monument square. They expressed their sympathy and anger at the plight of the Palestinians, especially the children, who have suffered from the Israeli bombings in Gaza.