Cirebon, West Java – Clashes and a street blockade, which caused a two-and-a-half-hour jam, marred a rally protesting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration's 100th day in office on Thursday.
A group of journalists also staged a protest, but against the police, who they say hindered their attempts to cover the news.
Rallies also took place in other cities across Indonesia.
Protesters criticized what they saw as the administration's failure to implement the programs promised in the first 100 days.
Protesters also called on Vice President Boediono and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani to step down. They blamed the two for the controversial Rp 6.76 trillion (US$714 million) Bank Century bailout.
However, not all the people joining the rallies were aware of the agenda.
A group of farmers in Mataram said they joined in not to protest, but to pay homage. "We're dressed formally because we have been invited to a wake, not to protest," Muhammad Yasin said.
In Cirebon, West Java, hundreds of vehicles were held up for two-and-a-half hours on the northern Java coastal road that connects West Java and Jakarta.
Traffic stretched 2 kilometers as protesters, who were mostly university students, forced motorists to a standstill and burnt tires. Clashes flared when police tried to break up the rally to ease traffic.
In Pekanbaru, the rally ended in a clash between protesters and police in front of the Bank Indonesia building.
Four protesters were arrested and charged with provoking the clash. Police identified them as Tata Maulana, Usman, Hendra Chaniago and Antoni Fitra from the Riau People's Movement to Demand (Gerram).
Gerram coordinator Bambang Aswandi denied his colleagues had incited violence, saying the police provoked the violence. "The police used pepper spray and beat us by batons," he said.
In Makassar, the rally was marred by the stoning of the national plantation building, breaking the windows in the security post. Police officers who arrived at the scene later confiscated a motorcycle, catapults and marbles, believed to belong to the protesters.
South Sulawesi Police chief Insp. Gen. Adang Rochjana said the perpetrators were intruders who were trying to incite the crowd.
Rallies also took place in other locations, such as at the legislative office, the governor's office, a flyover, the Bank Indonesia building, Losari beach front and university campuses.
In Purwokerto, protesters trampled pictures of the President and Vice President and lowered the national flag in front of the local legislative building to half-mast. The police managed to seize the pictures from protesters before demonstrators could set them on fire.
In Samarinda, protesters were able to vent their frustration by burning a picture of the President, although the rally was generally peaceful.
Protesters in Yogyakarta expressed their dissatisfaction with the President's administration. "[Yudhoyono] is a pretender, not a President," read one poster. Other posters called on Boediono and Sri Mulyani to step down.