Indonesian Muslims protest Quran burning in Sweden

By ANDI JATMIKO
Associated Press

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Hundreds of Indonesian Muslims have marched to the heavily guarded Swedish Embassy in Jakarta to denounce the recent desecration of Islam’s holy book by far-right activists in Sweden and the Netherlands. Waving white flags bearing the Islamic declaration of faith, more than 300 demonstrators filled a major thoroughfare in downtown Jakarta and tampled and set on fire portraits of Danish anti-Islam activist Rasmus Paludan along with the flags of Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands. Authorities blocked streets leading to the embassy and deployed more than 200 police and soldiers. Paludan and the leader of a Dutch far-right movement earlier this month burned pages from the Quran, angering Muslims and triggering protests around the world.