THOUSANDS of police are protecting petrol stations and Government buildings across Indonesia from mounting protests against plans to raise fuel prices tomorrow.

With queues of up to a kilometre to buy petrol, hundreds of demonstrators converged on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's palace in central Jakarta, demanding the price rise be abandoned.

Large fuel subsidies, which are costing more than $1 billion a month, are crippling Indonesia's budget because of soaring oil prices and a sliding rupiah.