Dayat, Jakarta – Protesters who are members of the Global Peace Convoy Indonesia (GPCI) held a demonstration in front of the United States Embassy on Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan in Central Jakarta on Friday afternoon October 3.
The action was held following the Israeli Navy's actions in intercepting some 45 ships from the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) that were attempting to break through the Gaza blockade by sea.
The crowd arrived riding a command vehicle then gave speeches and expressed their aspirations behind the concrete barrier on the road in the direction of the Gambir area. They were also seen carrying Palestinian and Indonesian flags, as well as banners protesting the interception of the GSF ships and the detention of more than 450 activists from various countries.
One of the delegates from the Defend Palestine Actions, Genta Ramadhan, emphasized that the protest was aimed at demanding that the UN and the US Embassy be held accountable for the detention of international volunteers by the Israeli military.
"We demand that the UN and the United States Embassy, which has become part of Zionist Israel, release our friends currently detained in Israeli prisons. And most importantly, stop the genocide against the Palestinian people", said Ramadhan.
In addition to calling for the release of the GSF volunteers, the protesters also called for Palestinian independence and condemned Israel's violence and genocide. They even declared their readiness to follow the GSF volunteers in breaking through the Gaza blockade.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "GPCI Demo di Kedubes AS Protes Pencegatan Kapal Global Sumud Flotilla".]
