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Tens of thousands at Jakarta rally against Trump's Jerusalem move

DPA WORLD
Published December 17,2017
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Indonesia's religious authorities led further mass protests on Sunday against US President Donald Trump's move to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The Jakarta rally was the biggest in Indonesia so far since Trump's announcement earlier this month, with an estimated 80,000 protesters representing various Muslim groups attending the demonstration.

The Indonesian Ulema Council said it strongly condemned Trump's decision over Jerusalem and demanded that he withdraw his statement.

"We support the struggle for Palestinian independence and to make Jerusalem as its capital," council chairman Ma'ruf Amin told the crowd which had gathered in central Jakarta near the US embassy.

Protesters holding banners were dressed in white and wore the Palestinian black-and-white chequered scarf.

Religious affairs minister Lukman Saifuddin, House Speaker Fadli Zon, Deputy House Speaker Fahri Hamzah were among the prominent figures at the rally.

Indonesia has no diplomatic ties with Israel and is a staunch supporter of Palestinian independence. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi went on a tour to meeting her counterparts in Jordan, Turkey and EU last week in support of Palestine.