Obama Jakarta Statue Attacked on Facebook

Website founder says Barack is no national hero
By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 15, 2009 8:43 AM CST
Obama Jakarta Statue Attacked on Facebook
A women stands near the bronze statue of young Barack Obama during a ceremony at a park in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009.   (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

A statue in Jakarta of President Obama as a boy is being attacked on a Facebook site by members who are demanding its removal. Some 15,500 members have joined the "Take Down the Barack Obama Statue in Taman Menteng Park" site since the 43-inch statue was erected last week.

"Everybody knows that Obama is a world leader, but he is not our national hero who deserves to be awarded a statue," said Jakarta resident Heru Nugroho, who founded the site. Obama lived in Jakarta from 1967 to 1971 with his American mom, Indonesian stepfather and his half-sister. The Jarkarta businessman who spearheaded the effort to erect the statue called the site "ridiculous."
(More Jakarta stories.)

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