Tuesday’s jailing of Jakarta’s Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama on blasphemy charges has galvanized a huge show of solidarity by his supporters as nightly candle-lit vigils continue across the Indonesian archipelago.
Aerial footage shows protesters in the port-town of Surabaya, on Java island, on Friday evening, May 12.
Purnama, universally known as Ahok, was handed a two-year sentence over referencing a Koranic verse last year that he said was being used by his opponents to mobilize people to vote against him. Hardline Islamists said that his reference amounted to blasphemy.
An edited video of his comments sparked a public outcry, ultimately leading to his trial.