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After flowers, Ahok supporters flood City Hall with songs
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Renowned conductor Addie MS leads a choir at City Hall on Wednesday. Members of the public went to City Hall and spontaneously formed a choir to demonstrate support for non-active Jakarta governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, who has been sentenced to two years in prison for blasphemy. (JP/Wienda Parwitasari)
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upporters of non-active Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama and acting governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat flocked to City Hall on Wednesday morning with a choir led by renowned conductor Addie MS.
The supporters, wearing red and white attire as suggested by Addie, sang the national anthem, "Indonesia Raya," and other national songs, such as "Garuda Pancasila," "Rayuan Pulau Kelapa," "Maju Tak Gentar," "Indonesia Pusaka" and "Syukur."
“This is awesome. We now just have to wait for Djarot. It is so sad that Ahok is not here. I imagine he would be proud to see the crowd here,” Addie said as reported by kompas.com.
The choir event was initially planned to be held last week. However, it was postponed due to Ahok’s busy schedule, he said.
Members of the public went to City Hall to demonstrate support for the state motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity). Wednesday’s choir performance was spontaneous, with members of the public who had shown up in support of the embattled Ahok participating.
“We gather here to support truth. Most importantly, we want to keep the Unitary State of Indonesia [NKRI] and Pancasila,” Addie added.
Ahok was detained on Tuesday after the final hearing of his blasphemy trial. He was escorted to Cipinang detention center in East Jakarta shortly after the North Jakarta District Court declared him guilty of blasphemy and sentenced him to two years in prison.
He was moved to the National Police’s Mobile Brigade detention center in Kelapa Dua, Depok, early Wednesday for security reasons.
