Demonstrations in Indonesia

Violence erupts at US embassy in Jakarta

A MOB of Indonesian Islamists waving jihad flags attacked the US embassy in Jakarta, throwing rocks and bricks, but they were repelled by tear gas and riot police.

The Age,

18 September, 2012

About 500 people from a number of radical groups were protesting against the movie Innocence of Muslims by calling for the arrest and death penalty for movie director and filmmakers Sam Bacile and Terry Jones.

Shouting "Allahu Akbar" and "F--- America", the mob, many of whom were masked, marched on the embassy and, when they arrived, promptly began to attack. Riot police were initially caught unprepared and without their shields.

Men throw rocks as Indonesian police release tear gas at anti-American protests in front of the United States embassy in Jakarta.

Volleys of rocks and bricks, broken from the pavement, rained on the police and embassy guards. Local media also reported several petrol bombs being thrown at the embassy.

One guard was pursued by a mob. It appeared he was eventually caught by a large group of protesters and surrounded, though it's not known what happened to him.

A police officer was carried from the scene by his comrades, with reports variously suggesting he had been hit by a rock or stabbed in the face.

The protesters also targeted western journalists. At one stage a mob surrounded us threatening violence, accusing us of being Americans.

The protesters were praying, chanting Islamic slogans and singing as they continued to block the road outside the embassy.

The protest, which began with the burning of a US flag, was spearheaded by the Islamic Defenders Front or FPI, and Majelis Mujahideen Indonesia, the two increasingly muscular Indonesian radical groups recently responsible for preventing US pop star Lady Gaga from performing in Indonesia.

The groups want Islamic law imposed in Indonesia.

Many of the protesters were wearing masks and paramilitary uniforms. Some of the protesters marched under the black flag of the radical group Hizb ut-Tahrir, and another which signifies allegiance with al-Qaeda