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Huge indonesian protest { March 30 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51672-2003Mar30.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51672-2003Mar30.html
Huge Indonesia Rally Leads Asia Anti-War Protests
Reuters
Sunday, March 30, 2003; 8:37 AM
By Dean Yates
JAKARTA (Reuters) - More than 100,000 Indonesians jammed the streets of Jakarta on Sunday shouting anti-American slogans over the Iraq war, as 200 foreigners in Beijing rallied in China's first government-approved protest over the conflict.
Elsewhere in Asia, up to 50,000 people demonstrated at the Bangladeshi town of Cox's Bazar while 10,000 South Korean workers vented their feelings in Seoul.
An estimated 150,000 people marched in India's biggest anti-war protest yet, in the eastern city of Calcutta, and burned several effigies of President Bush.
In the biggest street protest in the world's most populous Muslim nation since the U.S.-led invasion began, demonstrators shouted "America, America: terrorist, terrorist" as they brought traffic to a complete halt on Jakarta's main 10-lane avenue.
The crowd initially gathered near the British embassy before marching to the heavily fortified U.S. mission. Witnesses said more than 100,000 people, including thousands of women in white veils, took part. Organizers put the number at more than 250,000.
While most were Muslims, they were joined by Christians carrying banners quoting Pope John Paul. Some protesters had enlarged photographs of Iraqi civilian victims around their necks. One protester wore a monkey suit with a sign that said "Bush: war criminal," referring to President Bush.
"All the people of Indonesia, without exception, want Bush to withdraw his forces from Iraq," thundered Amien Rais, head of Indonesia's top legislature and a 2004 presidential candidate, as the crowd passed the United Nations building.
Police formed a cordon in front of the U.S. mission, and there was no violence. By mid-afternoon, the crowd had dispersed.
Joko Amardi, 30, said he had brought his one-year-old daughter so she could share Muslim solidarity for Iraq's people.
"This is a good lesson for her, even though she doesn't understand," Amardi said as his daughter, wearing a pink veil, waved a banner that read: "Iraq, Why, Why."
There have been daily protests across Indonesia since the war began although most have been fairly small and peaceful.
The Indonesian government and public have generally been united in opposing the use of force to disarm Iraq.
FOREIGNERS PROTEST IN BEIJING
In Beijing, foreigners shouted slogans as they marched past the U.S. embassy, but police stymied protests by Chinese.
They were a token show of public discontent over a war opposed by the Communist government and most Chinese. But allowing only foreigners to protest shows Beijing's wariness of straining ties with the United States.
Protesters, who included American, French and British nationals, hoisted signs reading "Stop Killing" and "Bush and Blair are war criminals."
Hundreds of police ordered around 100 Chinese students to surrender their banners. Police also led away around 10 Chinese teenage punk rockers sporting combat boots and Mohawk hair-dos after they raised signs reading "Wanted: George W. Bush."
"It is good of the government to finally allow a protest but it's still so small," said marcher Abdul Qawi, 24, a Yemeni national studying Chinese language at Peking University.
"It's probably the smallest anywhere."
Some Chinese bystanders told Reuters they wished they could have joined in the foreigners' protest.
"I am also against the war," said one 45-year-old woman, Wang Fang. "But these are the rules of our country."
In India, uniformed firemen, schoolchildren, teachers, and businessmen, some holding placards that asked, "How many deaths per gallon?" joined tens of thousands of communist party workers in a march through Calcutta that blocked traffic.
Eighth-grader Mohammad Nasim, 14, told Reuters, "I see no reason for this war where innocent people are being killed. Where are the weapons of mass destruction America was talking about? Bush should tell us."
The march was organized by the communist party that rules the state of West Bengal, whose capital is Calcutta.
Transport, offices and business across Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh came to a halt for nearly two hours as up to 50,000 anti-war protesters took to the streets.
They torched effigies of Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair as well as U.S. and British flags.
"This has been the biggest protest or rally we have ever seen in this town," Cox's Bazar journalist Nurul Islam said.
About 10,000 South Korean workers rallied near Seoul's Yoido financial district on Sunday shouting anti-war slogans.
© 2003 Reuters
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