Thousands gathered in the capital and other major cities, including Medan and Surabaya.
The protests are expected to continue for days, as the Yudhoyono government and parliament attempt to reach an agreement on the contentious plan.
It is by far the biggest protest against the planned fuel price hike … as protesters vowed more demonstrations.
More than 40,000 people rallied across Indonesia.
In the capital Jakarta, some 8,000 people took to the streets at three strategic locations.
Led by the opposition party PDI-P, protesters held a noisy rally at the heart of the capital - reducing traffic to a standstill.
They marched to the presidential palace some two kilometres away to make their demands heard.
However, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is away in South Korea attending the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit.
Before he left, the Indonesian leader stressed that with soaring oil prices - his government had no choice but to reduce the fuel subsidy that is bleeding the country's national budget.
On Monday, an agreement was reached with the parliament to reduce this year's budget for fuel subsidy by 23 per cent to US$15 billion.
That would up the price of fuel by about 30 percent, or from 49 cents a litre to 65 cents for private vehicles.
But the plan needs parliament approval and opposition parties say they will reject it.
Maruarar Sirait, Opposition Member of the PDI-P Party, said: "The first reason for rejection is constitutional. The National Budget Law for 2012, which was passed in October 2011, states that there will not be any fuel price hike. This is the best gift for the people."
Protesters are urging lawmakers to reject the plan, saying it would trigger inflation that would hurt the people.
They staged rallies outside Parliament House under the watchful eyes of security personnel.
More than 20,000 police officers - with thousands of soldiers providing back-up - are ensuring the protest remains peaceful.
- CNA/de
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