Tens of thousands of Indonesian protesters took to the streets on Thursday to oppose the US-British bombardment of Iraq. Many prayed for peace, others wept, some hurled tomatoes at the US Embassy and others "sealed" a McDonald's outlet.
In Malang, East Java, about 30,000 people prayed for an end to hostilities, in what was the biggest anti-war rally in Indonesia since the invasion began last week.
The Malang gathering was organized by Indonesia's biggest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), with participants praying for the safety of Iraqi civilians.
"God, we ask for your miracle. Please show your greatness. Please protect the Iraqis. Hopefully, he who likes to destroy gets the right reprisal," Muslim cleric Masduki Mahfud was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Meanwhile, hundreds students from the Jakarta State Islamic University (UIN) and other universities gathered outside the US Embassy to burn American flags and throw tomatoes at the heavily guarded diplomatic compound.
The students later went to the main McDonald's restaurant in Jakarta and covered the windows with posters featuring slogans such as "Boycott American products because the profits are used to fund war". The students also attempted to "seal" the Hard Rock Cafe in the same shopping complex.
Not far away, 400 members of the NU's youth wing rallied outside the United Nations office and attempted to hand over a humanitarian donation of rice for the Iraqi people.
Agence France-Presse reported the protesters were angered when UN officials initially refused to accept the 2.5 tons of rice. Police helped representatives of the crowd negotiate with the officials and the rice was subsequently placed inside the compound.
Protest leader Syamsuddin Pay said more donations of rice and medicine would follow. "We need concrete action to help Iraqi civilians, not just condemnation [of US attacks] and insults," he was quoted as saying by AFP.
In the West Java capital of Bandung, about 2,000 members of the Hizbut Tahrir Muslim movement rallied outside the provincial parliament to demand a boycott of American products.
In Medan, North Sumatra, hundreds of students from elementary school to university level took the streets to denounce US President George W. Bush as a killer of innocent Iraqis. The students also went to Australia's representative office to condemn Australian participation in the US-led military force.
The Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) added its weight to the nationwide protests, urging the government to recall its ambassador to the US.
"The government must have a firmer stand. We do not call for cutting off diplomatic ties but merely a temporarily freeze until the US stops its aggression on Iraq," MUI chairman Umar Shihab was quoted as saying by Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
There was one anti-protest in Surabaya, East Java, on Thursday, when the Child Protection Foundation (LPA) criticized elementary school teachers for involving their students in a rally outside the US Consulate.
"We deeply regret the rally, which can be considered child exploitation. Physically, the children are not strong enough to stage a rally, much less to chant during the rally," LPA chief Nanang Abdul Chanan was quoted as saying by Antara.
About 50 pupils and eight teachers from the Muhammadiyah Elementary School in Surabaya had earlier in the day thronged outside the consulate to condemn the invasion of Iraq.