Irwan Firdaus, Jakarta – Students protesting the policies of Indonesia's government demonstrated in three cities today, defying troops sent to put down discontent in the Southeast Asian nation.

Demonstrators clashed with riot police outside the provincial governor's office in Palu, on Sulawesi island, 930 miles northeast of Jakarta, the official Antara news agency reported. At least ten people were injured.

In Indonesia's second-most populous city, Medan, as many as 700 students, workers and farmers protested hardships caused by the country's worst economic crisis in 30 years. Shops in the city, on the island of Sumatra, 870 miles northwest of Jakarta, were closed, although rumors that the protests could turn violent proved unfounded.

Students in the capital, Jakarta, marched along a toll road in front the Parliament today, after troops stopped buses that aimed to take them to the legislature. The action created a huge traffic jam.

At first, some of the 700 students climbed on top of the buses, chanting slogans and waving banners and flags. Later, police relented and students and the buses passed the Parliament and headed toward a nearby university.

The demonstrations were the latest protests against President B.J. Habibie and his government. Most of the protests have been in response to soaring prices and mass unemployment, which have brought misery to millions of Indonesians.