Ali Kotarumalos, Jakarta – Police fired warning shots Thursday and beat demonstrators at the national parliament, where opposing groups rallied for and against President Abdurrahman Wahid. At least four protesters were injured.

The violence started after police separated the two sides. It was the first violent eruption after days of noisy but peaceful protests over the future of Wahid, widely criticized for involvement in fraud cases, failing to fix the ailing economy and for not stopping communal violence across the archipelago nation.

Witnesses said some pro-Wahid protesters threw rocks at their rivals but also hit some officers, who retaliated. Some protesters attempted to enter the legislature, but were pushed back and dispersed by police.