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Workers to join next anti-Ahok rally on Dec. 2
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Religious protest – Thousands of people alongside the Movement of Indonesian Council Edict Supporters (GNPF MUI) stage a massive rally in protest of incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama’s allegedly blasphemous remarks in Jakarta on Nov. 4. (Antara/Akbar Nugroho Gumay)
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s several Islamic organizations work to recruit more participants, the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Unions (KSPI) is set to join the next planned rally.
Scheduled for Dec. 2, the rally aims to call for the arrest of incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, who had been named a suspect in an alleged blasphemy case.
KSPI chairman Said Iqbal said workers planned to go on strike and join the Dec. 2 rally in protest of the Jakarta administration’s minimum wage policy recently imposed in the city.
“Just imagine, the minimum wage for Jakarta is set at Rp 3.3 million [US$246.82] next year, equal to this year's minimum wage in a ‘small city’, namely Karawang [in West Java]," he said on Friday.
Iqbal further said that in the rally, the workers wanted to express their disappointment over Ahok's allegedly blasphemous remarks and the forced evictions conducted under his leadership.
“Around 500,000 workers in Greater Jakarta areas will join the peaceful rally," he claimed.
Ahok triggered anger among Muslims in Indonesia when he cited a Quranic verse in his speech in front of local residents in Thousand Islands regency last September. The National Police subsequently named Ahok a suspect for his remarks and issued a travel ban that prevented him from going overseas.
The Movement of Indonesian Council Edict Supporters (GNPF MUI) announced on Friday that it would carry out a peaceful rally demanding that the police arrest Ahok, who is currently seeking his second term of office in next year’s Jakarta gubernatorial election. (fac/ebf)
