Protesters call for arrest as Ahok arrives at court
Hundreds of protesters chanted and called for the arrest of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama as he arrived at the North Jakarta District Court, which is now temporarily located at former Central Jakarta District Court building on Jl. Gajah Mada No 17, Central Jakarta, to attend his first blasphemy trial on Tuesday.
Riding in a black Toyota Innova, Ahok arrived and entered the court at 7:45 a.m., not providing any statements to the journalists waiting for him in front of the building.
Staging their protest outside of the court, hundreds of members and supporters of the Indonesia Ulema Council’s Fatwa (GNPF-MUI) and other Muslim organizations demanded the arrest of Ahok.
“Arrest Ahok!" they shouted repeatedly.
An Islam Defender Union member, Adi Kurniawan, said he and other Islamic group supporters came to the court to directly witness Ahok's trial.
"As Muslims, we are paying close attention to Ahok's case. We want to see how his legal process runs," he said.
Until 9 a.m, visitors and journalists were not allowed to enter the court. "The court capacity has a maximum of 80 occupants. The room is already overcrowded," Central Jakarta Police Chief Sr. Comr. Dwiyono told visitors and journalists in front of the court.
