Anti Israel protesters march to US Embassy in Jakarta

Hundreds of protesters marched to the heavily guarded US Embassy in Indonesia's capital on Tuesday to demand an end to Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.

Waving Indonesian and Palestinian flags and signs that read: "Free Palestine," demonstrators gathered along a major street in Jakarta that runs outside the embassy.

More than 1,000 police were deployed around the compound, which is blocked off by concrete road separators.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim majority nation, does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel and there is no Israeli Embassy in the country.

One group of protesters, organized by the United Indonesian Muslim Student Action group, chanted "God is Great" and "Freedom for Palestine" as they marched.

Their banners and placards slammed airstrikes in Gaza and denounced America's support of Israel.

Another group, organized by the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions, held a similar rally a few hundred meters (yards) from the embassy.

They yelled "Save Palestinians" as they marched through downtown Jakarta to the United Nations mission.

Similar protests organized by union workers were held at the same time Tuesday in other Indonesian cities, including in Surabaya, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Makassar and Riau.