Pro-Palestinian protesters marched to the heavily guarded US Embassy in Indonesia’s capital on Saturday to demand an end to the Israel-Hamas war.
Waving Indonesian and Palestinian flags and signs that read “We stand with Gaza,” more than 3,000 demonstrators, many wearing white robes, filled a major thoroughfare in downtown Jakarta that runs outside the embassy.
About 1,000 police officers were deployed around the compound.
The protesters’ banners and placards slammed the Israeli government and denounced the US’ staunch support of Israel.
Indonesia does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel and there is no Israeli embassy in the country.
It has long been a strong supporter of the Palestinians, and President Joko Widodo has condemned the Israeli airstrikes.
The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has soared past 7,300, more than 60 percent of them minors and women, according to the territory’s health ministry.
A blockade on Gaza has meant dwindling supplies, and the UN warned that its aid operation helping hundreds of thousands of people was “crumbling” amid near-depleted fuel.
More than 1,400 people were slain in Israel during Hamas’ October 7 attack, according to the Israeli government, and at least 229 hostages were taken into Gaza.
Palestinian militants have fired thousands of rockets into Israel, including one that hit a residential building in Tel Aviv on Friday, wounding four people.
