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Thousands of Indonesians hit the streets of Jakarta on Sunday, staging a peaceful demonstration against the looming US-led war on Iraq.
Organized by the relatively small Justice Party (Partai Keadilan), it was clearly the biggest ever anti-American protest in Indonesia, involving students, Muslim activists and families carrying babies.
The exact number of protesters was unclear. Some local media reports put the number at about 100,000, while the Associated Press said there were "at least 50,000" protesters.
State news agency Antara news agency said there were "tens of thousands" of people involved in the rally, but Reuters quoted observers as saying the crowd was closer to 7,000 when it marched past the US Embassy.
The protesters displayed banners with slogans such as "Stop War, Save Iraq", "No More Blood", "Save Peace and Humanity", "Bush's War Against Iraq Equals State Terrorism" and "No More Blood For Oil".
The protest commenced in Central Jakarta at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout, near the British Embassy, and then moved to the US Embassy, where police had tightened security. The demonstrators remained peaceful and dispersed shortly after midday for prayers at the nearby Istiqlal Mosque.
Indonesia is strongly opposed to a US-led strike on Iraq as the United Nations has not approved such action. Muslim leaders and democracy activists alike have condemned US President George W. Bush for threatening to wage war on Iraq. They say Bush is more dangerous than Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as an outbreak of war could result in thousands of Muslim deaths.
"It seems that US President George W. Bush is afraid of losing face if he fails to attack Iraq," Justice Party chief Hidayat Nur Wahid was quoted as saying by AP. "The attack is a crime against humanity which should be protected by the international communities," he said.
The government on Thursday said evidence presented by US Secretary of State Colin Powell on Iraq's lack of compliance with UN weapons inspectors was not sufficient justification for an invasion.
Foreign Affairs Minister Hassan Wirajuda said Powell's presentation to the UN Security Council demonstrated the need for more work by weapons inspectors, not unilateral action.
"For Indonesia, the intelligence information conveyed by the US has an indicative nature which requires further verification by the UN inspection team," he was quoted as saying by Reuters.
"Indonesia supports the extension of the UN inspection mission and leaving the Security Council to judge whether the report can give enough reason or no reason at all for imposing a sanction on Iraq," he added.
The peaceful nature of Sunday's protest was seen by some observers as evidence that Westerners in Indonesia are unlikely to be threatened in the event of a US-led war on Iraq.
But some analysts warn that military and political factions seeking to destabilize the administration of President Megawati Sukarnoputri could hire former members of radical Islamic militia groups, such as the Islamic Defenders' Front (FPI) and Laskar Jihad, to attack Westerners and/or foreign interests if the US commences military operations against Iraq.