Thousands of protesters began crowding Jakarta’s streets on Friday for a rally organized by Muslim groups to demand that the governor of Indonesia’s capital face jail over insulting the Quran.
About 18,000 riot police and military personnel were deployed to Jakarta for the march on the presidential palace, which is expected to start after midday Friday prayers and break up around 6 p.m. local time. Some protesters held signs saying "Jail Ahok” and "Ahok Is an Enemy of Islam,” using the nickname of Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, an ally of President Joko Widodo.
The protest comes as Purnama is locked in a three-way battle to run Jakarta that has become a proxy fight for some of the nation’s most powerful political figures.
Widodo called for unity ahead of the rally while meeting with Muslim leaders and reaching out to political opponents, including former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, whose son is also running for governor. [MuslimPress] Read more
