INDONESIA: Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto joins hundreds of protesters in a rally in central Jakarta condemning Israel's offensive against Gaza

Record ID: 401306

  • Title: INDONESIA: Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto joins hundreds of protesters in a rally in central Jakarta condemning Israel's offensive against Gaza
  • Date: 11th July 2014
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) PROTESTER LATIFA (GOES WITH ONE NAME) SAYING: "The action is so cruel, how could people attack the Muslims during the holy fasting month, where people devote themselves to Allah. People were killed, especially a lot of them were children." (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) PROTESTER MARNO (GOES WITH ONE NAME) SAYING: "We hope to reach out to th
  • Embargoed: 26th July 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Indonesia
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Topics: General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA9GY9YODOFRW6128CPGEYS6C1V
  • Story Text: Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto joined over 500 protesters in a rally in central Jakarta on Friday (July 11) to condemn Israel's air strikes against the Gaza City.
    The protesters held up Palestinian flags and banners reading: Save Gaza, and shouted slogans.
    At least 85 Palestinians have died during Israel's four-day-old air and sea offensive on Gaza as it attempts to halt rocket fire by militants into Israel. Militants have fired hundreds of rockets into Israel reaching deeper into the country than ever before.
    Israeli leaders have hinted that they could order the first ground invasion of the coastal strip in five years. Some 20,000 army reservists have been mobilized.
    Subianto urged other world powers to pressure Israel to stop the attack.
    "We condemn, we demand all the civilized countries around the world to stand together to force Israel to stop the military attack against Palestinians," he told the rally.
    His rival, presidential candidate Joko Widodo also took an early step onto the international political stage by condemning Israel's offensive in Gaza on Thursday (July 10).
    Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, has long supported the Palestinian cause and does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.
    Protesters splashed a photo of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu with red paint and said the attack during the holy fasting month of Ramadan on Muslim majority Gaza was too cruel.
    "The action is so cruel, how could people attack the Muslims during the holy fasting month, where people devote themselves to Allah. People were killed, especially a lot of them were children," said Latifa, who like many Indonesians goes with one name.
    Another protester, Marno, hoped their message could be heard by more people around the world.
    "We hope to reach out to the world with the protest this evening. We support the independence of the Palestinian state and criticise the action of the Israeli military," he said.
    The Israeli offensive is the deadliest since October 2012, when around 160 Palestinians and six Israelis were killed during an Israeli campaign to punish Hamas for missile attacks. That conflict was eventually halted with Egyptian mediation.
    If Israel launches a ground invasion of Gaza, it would be the first since a war in early 2009 when 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed.
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