Bekasi. Around a thousand protesters calling themselves the Bekasi Islamic Forum converged on the Bekasi city government offices west of Jakarta on Monday (07/03), to protest against the construction of a church, which they say is situated too close to an Islamic boarding school.

The same group earlier attended the boarding school in the Ujung Harapan area in Bekasi before moving in a convoy to the Santa Clara church in North Bekasi. At the church construction site, the group prevented workers from entering while dozens of police officers stood by to watch.

The group later drove to the Bekasi city government offices in South Bekasi, arriving at 10:25 a.m. They demanded that Bekasi Mayor Rahmat Effendi revoke the church's permit.

"We have lobbied dozens of time but the mayor ignored us and let construction go ahead," the group's coordinator Ismail Ibrahim said.

Momon Sulaeman, a senior Bekasi official, addressed the protestors, saying the mayor had no reason to reject the construction of the church.

"The mayor signed the construction permit of the church because all the requirements are met. [The permit] is issued according to procedures," he said.

The statement was met with jeers from the group.

As of 1 p.m. the demonstrators still crowded the offices, causing traffic congestion on nearby Jalan Juanda.