Students staged a mock trial of President Suharto in Jakarta, condemned him to death and burned him in effigy yesterday, ignoring a call from Indonesia's powerful military chief, Gen Wiranto, to halt their protests.
Around 300 students also marched on Jakarta's parliament square during a hearing on major fuel and electricity price rises, to demand that Mr Suharto step down. They were rounded up by police and given a warning before being released.
Students in the north Sumatra city of Medan, the scene of riots this week over soaring fuel prices, denounced Mr Suharto as the "Son of Satan" and demanded he be put on trial for real.
A chorus of reform demands from establishment organisations grew louder with church leaders representing more than 10 million Protestants throwing their support behind the student protests. Earlier in the week a leading Muslim intellectual organisation urged wide-ranging reform.
Despite the demonstrations and the country's economic crisis, Mr Suharto was due to leave for Cairo today to attend a summit of 15 emerging nations which begins on Monday, followed by a formal state visit to Egypt.
Diplomats said his decision to make the trip indicated his confidence that the situation was secure in Indonesia.
Yesterday, Gen Wiranto was quoted as saying he was reviewing the country's national security law and "suppressive laws" would be revoked.
But there was no immediate sign that he had stemmed a tide of protest which has grown louder and more prone to violence as the pain from Indonesia's worst economic crisis in decades worsens.
The University of North Sumatra in Medan reopened after being shut in late April after days of confrontations.
But the student protesters remained within the campus. They said they did not want to add to the riot-torn city's troubles. Medan's Waspada newspaper said seven people had been killed in the riots but Gen Wiranto said none had died.
In Jakarta, students at the Teachers' Training Institute held a mock trial of Suharto, condemning him to death and burning his effigy. They accused him of enriching his family and friends at the expense of the people.
Some 34 members among Indonesia's usually docile legislators asked Mr Suharto's government to reconsider the fuel, electricity and transport price hikes.