The 212 Rally drew a huge turnout on Sunday, possibly the biggest show of force of Muslims in Jakarta.
The rally drew its name from the date when the demonstration was held on Dec 2, 2016, that calls for the prosecution of then-Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or Ahok for blasphemy.
An estimated 3 million people, mostly wearing white clothes, attended the 2nd anniversary gathering yesterday at the National Monument (Monas). While most attendees came from Greater Jakarta, there were also others who came from other regions, such as Central Java’s Surakarta.
Apart from the Monas square, other rally goers also crowded the area around the Horse Statue in Central Jakarta – located roughly 1-kilometer from the monument.
Participants came to Monas by public transportation and KRL electric trains. Many also came by foot, in anticipation of roads closure and traffic situation.
The Chairman of the 212 Alumni Reunion Media Center, Novel Bamukmin, said the rally had no political purpose. It is basically a religious tourism and effort to uphold `tawheed` (faith in one God).
“There is no political element. We do not allow other flags to fly, besides Merah Putih and the Tawheed flag. We do not allow party flags,” said Novel.
Presidential candidate and Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto attended the rally, as well as Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, who beat Ahok in the 2017 election. They were present alongside officials from political parties supporting Prabowo and his running mate Sandiaga, including National Mandate Party (PAN) founder Amien Rais and party chairman Zulkifli Hasan, as well as Gerindra deputy chairman and House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Fadli Zon.
Apart from Jakarta, the 212 rally was also held in Medan, North Sumatra, and in a number of regions across the province, such as Asahan, Langkat and Deli Serdang regencies as well as Binjai city.
Source: Jakarta Post, Tempo, Kompass
Photo: Antara/Star