Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Monday that he was often disturbed by mass rallies that took place in front of the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta.

Yudhoyono made the comment inside the presidential compound while welcoming the House of Representatives' speakers, who were arriving for a consultative meeting.

At the time, hundreds of workers grouped under the Congress Alliance of Indonesian Labor Unions (KASBI) were protesting in front of the palace, some 200 meters from the President's Office.

The demonstration also caused gridlock around the city. The President then commented on the noisy demonstration.

"[The sound] is extreme, isn't it? Sometimes, when I receive state guests or have other important events, it disrupts our activities. In foreign countries, protests using megaphones are usually regulated," Yudhoyono said.