The authorities in the Indonesian capital Jakarta have deployed hundreds of police officers to protect city hall after a Muslim protest demonstration on Wednesday ended in chaos. Three police officers were killed and hundreds of people injured when armed protesters clashed with riot police.

The Muslims were protesting against plans to bulldoze part of a cemetery in the subdistrict of Tanjung Priok. The cemetery contains a memorial to the revered 18th century Muslim scholar Habib Hasan bin Muhammad al Hadad. The scholar's remains were removed from the cemetery some years ago but his tomb is still considered a holy place by many people.

On Thursday morning, about 500 Muslim demonstrators gathered outside city hall to protest against the police violence.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has criticised the security forces and demanded a peaceful resolution of the dispute. The president told a press conference: "The incident should and could have been avoided and a decision could have been made to stop the operations once the conditions in the field became apparent."