Thousands protest burning of Islamic flag in Indonesia

Thousands of conservative Muslims protested in the Indonesian capital on Friday about the burning of an Islamic flag, sparking criticism from the government's top security minister that the country was in mourning after a plane crash and back-to-back natural disasters.

Waving black flags bearing the Islamic declaration of faith, several thousand demonstrators, many wearing white Islamic robes, filled a major thoroughfare in Jakarta after Friday prayers. It was the biggest of scattered protests since last month after a flag linked to a banned Islamic group was burned by members of the country's largest mainstream religious organization.

Video of members of Nahdlatul Ulama's youth-wing militia burning the Hizbut Tahrir flag has led to allegations of blasphemy because it was emblazoned with the Islamic declaration of faith.

A Muslim man holds a flag with Arabic writings that read: "There's no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger" popularly known as "tauhid flag" which is often linked with banned Islamic group Hizbut Tahir Indonesia, during a protest in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Nov. 2, 2018. Thousands of conservative Muslims staged the protest in the capital against the burning of the flag by members of Nahdlatul Ulama, the country's largest mainstream religious organization. (AP PhotoAchmad Ibrahim)

Hizbut Tahrir, which seeks a global caliphate, has been banned by the Indonesian government as a threat to national unity.

Shortly before meeting with protest leaders, Indonesia's top security minister, Wiranto, said police had been "neutral and professional" in their response to the flag burning incident.

Blasphemy against any of the officially recognized faiths in Muslim-majority Indonesia is a criminal offense though prosecutions overwhelmingly target religious minorities.

Muslim men hold flags with Arabic writings that read: "There's no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger" popularly known as "tauhid flag" which is often linked with banned Islamic group Hizbut Tahir Indonesia, during a protest in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Nov. 2, 2018. Thousands of conservative Muslims staged the protest in the capital against the burning of the flag by members of Nahdlatul Ulama, the country's largest mainstream religious organization. (AP PhotoAchmad Ibrahim)

Wiranto, who uses a single name, emphasized that Indonesia is dealing with the aftermath of a plane crash earlier this week that killed 189 people and earthquakes and a tsunami that claimed thousands of lives.

"The government will not ban the protest," he said.

"But they must not force their will, make people afraid or disturb public order," he said. "Moreover, our nation is currently in mourning after a series of disasters and a plane crash. They should help create peace, even the international community gives a lot of sympathy, empathy and assistance."

Religious and ethnic tensions are likely to rise in Indonesia as April's presidential election nears. President Joko Widodo has chosen a conservative cleric as his running mate to head off criticism he's insufficiently Islamic.

A protest was also staged Friday in Garut, West Java province, where the flag was torched after hard-liners allegedly infiltrated an event organized by Nahdlatul Ulama's youth wing.

Indonesia's moderate reputation was undermined last year when Jakarta's minority Christian governor was imprisoned for blasphemy following street protests against him that drew hundreds of thousands.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has for now denied the A's request to trademark the names “Las Vegas Athletics” and “Vegas Athletics.”

The club, which intends to move to Nevada in 2028, has three months from when the refusals were issued Dec. 29 to ask for an extension to file a new application within a six-month period.

The A's were told the nickname “Athletics” was too generic and could be confused with other activities even if associated with Las Vegas.

That, however, has been the club's nickname since the Philadelphia Athletics began playing in 1901. The A's kept the nickname when they moved to Kansas City in 1955 and Oakland in 1968.

The Patent and Trademark Office denied the NHL's Utah team to use the nickname “Yetis” on Jan. 9 because of potential confusion with companies such as Yeti Coolers. Utah, which moved from the Phoenix area in 2024, now uses the nickname “Mammoth.”

The A's relocated to West Sacramento, California, last year to play the first of three planned seasons in the city's Triple-A ballpark. The team is going solely by “Athletics” while playing in the Northern California city.

A $2 billion, 33,000-capacity stadium on the Las Vegas Strip is under construction. Club officials told the Las Vegas Stadium Authority on Dec. 4 that the ballpark is on schedule to open in time for the 2028 season.

Nevada and Clark County have approved up to $380 million in public funds for the ballpark, and the A’s have said they will cover the remaining expenses. Owner John Fisher has been seeking investors to assist in the funding.

In preparing for the move to Las Vegas, the A's have signed some notable contracts. The most recent was an $86 million, seven-year deal for left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, the richest in team history. Soderstrom signed his contract Dec. 30 at the A's Experience Center in Las Vegas.

The A's acquired second baseman Jeff McNeil from the New York Mets on Dec. 22.

Going back to last offseason, the A's also reached agreements on a $60 million, five-year contract with designated hitter/outfielder Brent Rooker and a $65.5 million, seven-year deal with outfielder Lawrence Butler. Manager Mark Kotsay signed an extension that takes him through 2028 with a club option for 2029.

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FILE - Athletics' Tyler Soderstrom sprints towards first after hitting an RBI double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Sept. 23, 2025, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall, File)