Thousands of participants joined a humanitarian and solidarity action supporting the independence of the Palestinian people.
The event, titled “Volume 3,” was organized by legal advocates from Greater Bandung, united under the Indonesian Advocates Squad, and involved interfaith leaders, community figures, universities, and religious legal organizations.
The action took place on Braga Street 21 in Bandung City, in front of the Law Office, lasting from morning until midday.
According to the event’s initiator, this solidarity action aims to encourage society, particularly legal professionals across Indonesia, to support efforts toward Palestinian independence.
“We witness the reality every day—children, elders, and mothers being slaughtered there. This is an extremely concerning situation. Even the International Court of Justice has ruled that what is happening in Palestine constitutes war crimes. We should support this decision,” said one of the organizers during the event.
Therefore, the advocates, along with interfaith and community leaders, initiated this solidarity action to unite voices in support of Palestine.
“We have agreed together—all interfaith and community forums stand united in declaring our stance and commitment to support Palestinian independence,” emphasized one of the speakers.
Meanwhile, the event’s chair stated that this gathering demonstrates Bandung’s reputation as a city upholding interfaith tolerance, with its citizens actively supporting Palestinian independence.
“Through this event, we gathered religious leaders from interfaith harmony forums, who responded positively and joined in making this event a success,” they explained.
Initially, the target was 1,000 participants, but the turnout exceeded expectations, reaching around 1,700.
“Participants included university students, members of Bandung’s Legal Aid Institute, the Indonesian Lawyers Association, interfaith organizations, and religious legal institutions,” the chair added.
Among the attendees were prominent religious scholars, Christian pastors, Confucian leaders, Hindu representatives, and Palestinian humanitarian activists. The leaders present agreed to issue a joint statement affirming their commitment to supporting Palestinian independence.
“After being read aloud, the declaration was signed by the attending leaders. Next, we will escalate this effort, such as forwarding the declaration to higher authorities, including the President,” they concluded.
Following the signing, thousands of participants marched peacefully along Braga Street and Asia Africa Street, holding speeches in front of Merdeka Building, before returning for a communal meal.
The Jakarta Corruption Court’s verdict sentencing former Trade Minister Tom Lembong to 4.5 years in prison continues to draw public attention. Amid varying opinions, legal experts emphasize the importance of respecting the court’s decision as part of a legitimate legal process.
One expert stated that the verdict against Tom Lembong is not an act of criminalization.
“This is a lengthy legal process, not something sudden. It has gone through stages—investigation, examination, and trial proceedings,” they asserted.
According to them, claims that the verdict is politically motivated or criminalization are incorrect and baseless. Judges ruled based on evidence and legal facts presented in court.
“This is purely a legal matter. Linking it to politics or calling it criminalization is unfounded. The judge issued the verdict based on evidence and facts,” they explained.
As legal observers, they also reminded that judicial institutions must maintain independence. Respecting legal processes is crucial in building an integrity-driven justice system.
“As academics, we respect the legal process. This is purely a legal issue, not criminalization,” they emphasized.
They concluded by urging all parties to oversee the legal process maturely, objectively, and without being swayed by misleading opinions.
