The police in Indonesia have raided homes to stop couples from sharing gifts to mark Valentine’s Day.
Authorities confirmed on Thursday that raids were conducted in Surabaya, and Makassar city on Sulawesi Island.
Valentine’s Day remains proscribed in Indonesia which is the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation.
About 100 students in the second-biggest city, Surabaya, demonstrated against chocolates-and-flowers being sent as gifts, saying it promotes Western decadence and casual sex.
“Say no to Valentine’s now!” chanted the high schoolers, most of them teenage girls in hijab head coverings. Some held placards with phrases like “Sorry Valentine’s Day, I am Muslim.”
A school principal, Arief Himawan, told AFP that couples giving each other chocolates or other treats can quickly lead to sin.
“We want to remind our young generation not to be caught up in Western culture,” he said.
In Indonesia, people are publicly flogged for several offences like selling alcohol and gay sex.
