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housands of workers and university students from all over Greater Jakarta staged a huge rally in the city on Wednesday to protest the government’s plan to raise fuel prices by around 30 percent on April 1.

Despite causing severe traffic congestion at several of the city’s main thoroughfares and forcing the Transjakarta Management Authority to reroute many of its buses, the demonstration passed off relatively peacefully.

Protesters launched their massive demonstration at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta at around 9 a.m., before staging a long march to the State Palace sometime before noon.

Marchers took up all the traffic lanes on Jl. Thamrin on their way to the State Palace, effectively blocking the road and thereby creating severe gridlock that lasted for a few hours.

The Indonesian Workers Union Confederation (KSPI) chairman, Said Iqbal, said the fuel-price hike would significantly reduce workers’ purchasing power, even after considering the recent regional minimum wage (UMR) increase of between 15 and 30 percent.

“The policy is also likely to lead to employers downsizing their employees due to soaring production costs,” he said.

The Confederation of All-Indonesian Workers Union (KSPSI) chairman, Andi Ghani, lambasted the government for “bowing down to foreign pressure while ignoring the majority of Indonesians who would be worst hit by the fuel-price and power-tariff hikes”.

“Mr. President, don’t hide in the Palace; come out and listen to your people’s wishes,” he shouted.

The government had also planned to increase the basic rate of electricity in April this year. The decision was scrapped last week after days of discussion between the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry and the House of Representatives’ energy commission.

Said added that more than 150,000 workers would stage a major demonstration on March 27 when the House and the government were scheduled to endorse the revised state budget.

Indonesian Labor Union (SBSI) chairman Mudhofir said the workers and students would stage an extra-parliament movement to besiege the State Palace and other strategic buildings on May Day to force the President to step down.

“We will be demanding the President’s resignation and a special trial for his violation of the Constitution and the 2012 State Budget Law,” he said.

Separately, City Police chief Insp. Gen. Untung S. Rajab said police deployed 4,000 officers to guard the demonstration.

The police have assigned 14,040 officers to stand by to anticipate any possibility of mass riots in the city in the days leading up to April 1.