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Dec. 2 rally participants leave site clean
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Two rally participants collect trash after the Friday mass prayer at the National Monument square in Central Jakarta on Dec. 2. (JP/I Gede Dharma)
U
nlike the rally on Nov. 4, participants of the Dec. 2 demonstration cleaned up their own trash before they left the demonstration site, the National Monument (Monas) square in Central Jakarta.
Dozens of people collected the trash with large plastic bags, which they had brought from their homes. A 34-year-old protester from Depok, Ajat Rahayu, for example, said he took the initiative to clean the site as he believed cleanliness was part of his faith.
"No one told me to collect the trash. It is my habit to always clean up after myself. Cleanliness is a part of my faith," he told The Jakarta Post, adding that he also participated in the Nov. 4 rally. "I learned from the Nov. 4 protest, hence, I wanted to leave a good impression at today's rally by collecting the garbage."
Aside from individuals like Ajat, the site was also cleaned by Muslims from Daurit Tauhid, an Islamic boarding school owned by famous cleric Abdullah Gymnastiar, who is better known as Aa Gym.
"All Darut Tauhid students: Let's clean the trash," Aa Gym said to hundreds of his students through a megaphone before assisting in the clean-up process himself.
Hundreds of volunteers from Arrahman Quranic Learning also helped pick up the trash.
As a result of the self-initiated efforts, cleaners from the Jakarta administration had a lighter job post-rally.
"Alhamdulillah, we were helped by them. We only had to take the plastic bags to the garbage trucks," said cleaner Jami. "We needed only to sweep small pieces of plastic." (evi)
