A crowd of protesters was seen fleeing from the stage outside parliament in the capital Jakarta, a Reuters witness said, while Kompas TV said stones were thrown at the compound.
There were no immediate reports of violence or injuries.
The rally was part of a series of protests across Indonesia on Monday, including in South Sulawesi, West Java and Jakarta, where hundreds of students dressed in fluorescent jackets marched to parliament to complain the rising cost of goods and the prospect of the president exceeding his two-term limit.
Jokowi, as the president is known, tried on Sunday to dampen speculation about a plan hatched by his allies to keep him in power longer.
The idea of extending his term, either by amending the constitution or delaying the 2024 elections, has gained traction in the world’s third-largest democracy lately after some influential political figures publicly called it out. supported.
“What is clear is that the elites are forcing themselves to delay the election, and that is what damages the constitution,” said Muhammad Lutfi, a student taking part in the protest.
University students have traditionally been at the forefront of efforts to protect Indonesia’s democratic gains, having taken to the streets in 1998 in huge protests that helped overthrow former strongman President Suharto.
The idea of allowing more than the maximum of two five-year terms as president has fueled fears of a threat to hard-won democratic reforms.
On Sunday, for the second time in less than a week, Jokowi, 60, urged ministers and security chiefs to stop discussing the issue to avoid public speculation and said it was clear that a election would take place in February 2024, as planned.
Jokowi has maintained a high approval rating since his first election in 2014, but a recent survey by pollster Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) showed that more than 70% of Indonesians reject the extension plan.
He has been criticized for his ambiguous stance on the issue, calling it a slap in the face and just an “idea”, but without explicitly rejecting it or ruling out staying in power any longer.