The protest is part of a campaign to "repay" the $1 billion in Australian aid given to Indonesia after the 2004 tsunami. An Indonesian man throws money on a banner featuring Tony Abbott as part of protests in Jakarta. Mr Abbott reminded Indonesia of the donation as part of his pleas for the lives of the Bali nine duo on death row. His comments were interpreted as a threat and have inflamed tensions between Australia and Indonesia with the executions of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran imminent. "Abbott = asal bacot" (slang for Abbott is a big mouth) one sign said and another said "We don't no Australian education" (sic).

Many people came to Sunday's protest after learning about it from a Twitter campaign using the hashtags #KoinuntukAustralia, #coinforAustralia and #coinforAbbott. Indonesians hold posters aimed at Tony Abbott during protests in Jakarta. Rian, one of the event organisers, said he would deliver the coins to the Australian embassy. He said if every person in Indonesia, which has a population of 250 million, donated one coin the country could pay back the "small amount of money donated by Australia". "We think this is quite urgent. There are many areas of co-operation between the Australian government and the Indonesian government. It is the Australian government who benefits from the co-operation," Rian said.

Indonesian and Australian authorities work together in areas such as counter-terrorism, border security, defence and legal framework development. "So, don't you ever mention something as tiny as $1 billion in relief for us," Rian said. He said the coin-collection campaign was to remind Indonesians of the republic's independence. "We are a nation that refuses to be colonised, a nation that would like to tell other nations not to try to destroy this republic." Indonesians are nationalistic and it is feared inflamed tensions between the two countries will only strengthen President Joko Widodo's resolve to execute the two men.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop rang Vice-President Jusuf Kalla, who is understood to have said Mr Abbott's comments were "most unhelpful", to clarify that the Prime Minister did not mean to link tsunami aid with the executions. "I said I regretted if this comment was seen as anything other than that," she said. Mrs Endang, a businesswoman from Ambon, donated 20,000 rupiah ($2) to the coins for Abbott campaign. "As an Indonesian citizen I am disappointed with the Australian statement," she said. "I donated without any pressure. It was sincere. Why did he (Abbott) bring it up that he helped us?"

The coins for Abbott campaign originated in Aceh, the Indonesian province that was hit hardest by the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004, which killed more than 100,000 people there. The protest comes as the brothers of Chan and Sukumaran made a statement outside Kerobokan prison urging everyone to remain respectful "at this time". Sukumaran's brother, Chinthu, said that as the men reflected on their past they were grateful to the Indonesian government, prison officials, and the many volunteers who had allowed them to set up programs that had helped better themselves and assisted Indonesians. "We see and hear many prisoners doing courses and going on to jobs and better lives," Chinthu said. "Our brothers' great wish is for the Indonesian president to allow them to continue this help to rebuild the lives of many Indonesians for many years to come," he said.

Chan's brother, Michael, said the two men on death row were very grateful for the support and kindness shown to them. Loading "We are amazed by the strength and resilience during this stressful time to create a holistic rehabilitation program that is now the envy of most prisons worldwide," Michael said. With Karuni Rompies and Amilia Rosa.