In case you missed it, thousands of conservative Muslims took to the streets in a yet another mass protest in Central Jakarta today to demand the imprisonment of Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama for allegedly committing blasphemy against Islam.
(There’s no official estimate on the number of protesters thus far, but organizers previously predicted that 5 million would show up to protest. (There definitely wasn’t 5 million people there today, that’s for sure.))
Today’s mass protest, dubbed “505” in accordance with today’s date and in keeping with the theme of previous mass protests against Ahok, is apparently going to be the last of its kind.
“GNPF MUI (The National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Ulema Council’s Fatwa – the organizing body behind the anti-Ahok protests) will not hold further protests relating to Ahok’s blasphemy case,” said GNPF MUI vice chairman Zaitun Rasmin, as quoted by Detik today.
Today’s protesters reportedly began dispersing from Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque at around 4pm, with nothing particularly of note happening throughout the day. The protesters demanded that the judges in Ahok’s blasphemy case act “independently” in determining the governor’s sentence, evidently oblivious to the irony that their demands to have Ahok jailed could influence the judges’ decision.
Previously, prosecutors demanded that Ahok be given a two-year suspended sentence, which some, especially conservative Muslims, see as too lenient. Ahok’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 9.
We’ll be interested to see if GNPF MUI stays true to their word if Ahok is found not guilty then, though it’s unlikely that there won’t be follow up protests. Or perhaps there really won’t be, since it seems unlikely that any political figures in Indonesia will continue funding further protests against Ahok now that he’s already lost his bid for reelection.
