Indonesians enraged over an anti-Islam film clashed with police outside the US Embassy in Jakarta on Monday, hurling rocks and Molotov cocktails and setting tyres ablaze.
At least one police officer was seen bleeding from the head while being carried to safety by fellow officers. Protesters in the world’s largest Muslim-majority country burned a picture of President Barack Obama and also tried to ignite a fire truck parked outside the embassy.
Molotov cocktails exploded against a fence surrounding it. Police used a loudhailer to call for calm, and deployed water cannons and tear gas to try to break up the crowd as the protesters shouted “Allah Akbar”, or God is great.
“We will destroy America like this flag!” a protester screamed while burning a US flag. “We will chase away the American ambassador from the country!”
The demonstration started off peacefully as the group of several hundred protesters from the Islamic People’s Forum and the Front of Islamic Defenders, many dressed in white, marched toward the mission. The protesters later paused to perform afternoon prayers about 200 metres from the embassy.
The US embassy earlier on Monday issued an emergency message to American citizens, saying about 1,000 people were expected to gather in front of the mission and that about 1,500 police were on hand.
However, Major Taufik, a police officer at the scene who like many Indonesians uses only one name, estimated there were more than 400 protesters gathered.