Hundreds of people thronged from the northern part of Ngawi to the center of the city, as the hour for evening prayers drew near on Friday last week. They were not seeking amusement, nor waiting for the time to break the fast by taking a stroll around the town. Their faces expressed an anger that was about to explode. Some of them held sharp weapons, of various kinds well known to East Java. Knives, sickles, machetes, all pointed upwards as