But the suspicions proved to be wrong. The President immediately returned to the State Palace after wrapping up his visit to Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, which is under renovation for the 2018 Asian Games.

In a bold move, with a blue umbrella in his hand, Jokowi, along with Vice President Jusuf Kalla, joined the mass prayers held by protesters at the National Monument (Monas), even though Friday saw bigger crowds than the Nov. 4 rally, when a riot erupted in front of the palace because of Jokowi’s refusal to meet with protesters.

At Monas, the pair sat inside a tent erected beside the stage to hear the Friday prayers sermon delivered by Islam Defenders Front (FPI) chairman Rizieq Shihab, before performing Friday prayers.

Jokowi concluded his attendance by taking to the podium and delivering a short speech expressing his appreciation for the peaceful protest, which had been called “a joint prayer”.

“Thank you for your prayers for the safety of the nation,” the President said in a firm tone.

“I highly appreciate everyone who has come and maintained order, so that the event can run well.”

“Allahu akbar [God is great],” Jokowi said several times between his sentences, to which the crowd immediately replied “Allahu akbar”.

Jokowi seemed confident in handling the Friday rally, following his numerous dialogues with various Muslim leaders and a political safari to visit different party leaders after the Nov. 4 rally, which turned violent later at night.

Some believed that Jokowi’s absence from the palace during the Nov. 4 rally may have escalated the situation, as protesters appeared to be dissatisfied when the President sent his ministers to meet them, while he left the palace to visit a construction project at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

Prior to the Friday rally, concerns were raised that it could trigger more violence, as it was predicted that more people would take part than on Nov. 4.

The Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police recently held diversity parades nationwide, in an apparent attempt to discourage people from taking part in the rally, which was filled with sectarian rhetoric after the mass prayers.

Jokowi’s move to join the mass prayers organized by protesters was unexpected.

The decision to take part came from the President himself and was made only minutes before prayer time, said Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin.

The main reason, Lukman added, was because the President believed his presence “was needed to directly address appreciation to the congregation and the [rally] participants for their sincere prayers for a peaceful nation”.

Lukman expressed optimism that there would be no more rallies in the near future, suggesting that people wait for the result of Ahok’s ongoing legal case.

Regardless of Lukman’s claim, the President was actually offered three options by his subordinates — to perform Friday prayers at a mosque inside the palace compound, to join the mass prayers at Monas or to pray at Istiqlal Mosque, which was also a meeting point for some protesters.

Unlike the Nov. 4 protest, which took center stage in front of the palace and nearby buildings, the Friday rally was concentrated in Monas square, which appeared to add leverage to security efforts.

Netizens on Twitter immediately commended the President for taking part in the mass prayers, with many saying they were proud of his bold move, resulting in the hashtag #Jokowi212 being among the top trending topics in the country as of Friday evening.

However, as the President wrapped up his short speech, the crowds started yelling: “Arrest Ahok immediately!”

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