05 November 2016•Update: 06 November 2016
By Ainur Rohmah
JAKARTA
Indonesia's president has delayed a much-anticipated visit to Australia after a huge demonstration against a Christian governor accused of insulting Islam descended into violence.
Police were forced to fire tear gas and water cannon at protesters late Friday after they chanted "war" and "revolution" and broke through barricades in front of the presidential palace in Jakarta.
Around 100,000 people -- many of them clad solely in white, brandishing the flags of Islamic organizations -- had earlier gathered at the site, but most had peacefully left after leaders appeared to meet agreement with the vice president.
On Saturday, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement that President Joko Widodo's Nov. 6-8 visit to Australia "would regrettably be postponed".
"The current development requires the president's presence in Indonesia," it underlined.
The statement underlined that relations between the two countries are "currently in a very good condition", although it has been a difficult two years following disagreements over asylum seekers and an international outcry over Indonesia's execution of two Australian drug dealers.
"It is the commitment of both countries to continue to improve this important relationship," the statement added.
Friday's protest had initially appeared to end peacefully, but descended into violence around the 6 p.m. (1000GMT) cut-off time, after some protesters -- angry that their representatives could not meet President Joko Widodo -- started to throw stones and bottles at police after representatives left a State Palace meeting.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla had earlier told reporters that he had met protesters' representatives and the alleged blasphemy case against Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama would proceed according to the applicable law.
"The law will be enforced firmly and quickly in accordance with the rules," Metro TV reported him saying.
The representatives said they had accepted the result of the conversation.
On Saturday morning, trash remained strewn across the protest site in front of the presidential palace and nearby parks.
Some public facilities had been vandalized, and locals were turning out in force to take selfies next to burnt out police vehicles.
National Police spokesperson Boy Rafli Amar told reporters that at least three police cars were torched during the violence, 18 cars were damaged and eight officers seriously injured.
In a press conference at National police headquarters, Amar produced photos of the disturbances, some of which showed crowds burning police vehicles and attacking officers.
"Eight personnel were wounded," he said, adding that colleagues had had to rescue them as they were being badly beaten about their faces.
He underlined that despite intense provocation, police had not opened fire on demonstrators and done their best to secure the event with a "gently persuasive" approach.
The protest saw only hijab wearing female police officers employed, while around 500 male police wore white skullcaps and recited Asmau Allah al-Husna (the 99 names of Allah) in fear of the demonstration turning violent.
Amar said that police eventually had to take a firmer cause of action as protesters turned to anarchy.
"There were bottles, stones and bamboo spears thrown at officers... This was a constant provocation."
Outside of the injuries to police officers, Amars said that at least 160 demonstrators were initially hospitalized suffering from the effects of tear gas, but they had now been discharged.
The governor is accused of publicly insulting Islam, however he says he was calling for people not to be “deceived” by those using a Quranic verse, Al Maidah: Chapter 51, not that the verse itself was insulting.
Amar said that in two weeks, investigators will examine witness statements from those accusing the governor of blasphemy and will then decide how to proceed.
