JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Police say the US Embassy in Indonesia’s capital was heavily guarded as more than a thousand Muslim hard-liners held a demonstration to condemn Israel’s recent offensive against Palestinian militants in Gaza.

The protesters staged a rally Friday to protest the offensive that killed more than 160 Palestinians before a cease-fire was reached.

The demonstration remained peaceful, but protesters shouted “Go to hell Israel!” and called on US President Barack Obama to stop “blind support” for Israel. The embassy was guarded by 300 police.

Meanwhile, in the country’s third-largest city of

, protesters burned photos of Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They tried unsuccessfully to force themselves into the building housing the U.S. Consulate.

Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, is a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.