Thousands of Indonesians rally against racial, religious intolerance

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Sat Nov 19, 2016 | 1:51am EST
By Agustinus Beo Da Costa | JAKARTA

Thousands of Indonesians held a peaceful rally on Saturday to promote unity, saying they were worried by signs of growing racial and religious intolerance in the world's largest Muslim-majority country.

Dressed in red and white shirts, the colors of the Indonesian flag, religious leaders, members of human rights groups, lawmakers and others marched along a central Jakarta street.

Some held posters with the national motto "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika", which means unity in diversity, while others performed traditional dances.

"This is about diversity, but also about unity. We have to separate politics from ethnicity, religion, and race," said 25-year old Iwan Saputra. "I want Indonesia to stay united."

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-politics-rally-idUSKBN13E078