Jakarta – President Megawati Soekarnoputricanceled a trip to Central Sulawesi on Tuesday following the latest wave of protests around the country over higher fuel and utility prices, AP reported.

Protesters took to the streets in Jakarta and five other cities Tuesday in a second week of demonstrations sparked by a government announcement that rates for fuel, telephone service and electricity would be raised from 6 to 22 percent.

The largest was in Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi, where nearly 2,000 students burned portraits of Megawati and Vice President Hamzah Haz and briefly occupied a local council building.

President reportedly canceled the planned trip To Palu and Makassar di South Sulawesi due to security concerns.

Separately, Deputy chairman of Megawati's Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) Parmono Anung told reporters in Jakarta that Megawati planned to invite chairmen of the People's Representatives Assembly (MPR) to discuss the recent issues. "She is making the schedule," he said.

Eearlier in the day, she refused to meet MRP Speaker Amien Rais because "the president wanted to explain in to other MPR chairmen", Pramono said.