Jakarta. Hundreds of protesters attempting to disrupt a concert by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli clashed with security personnel outside the Jakarta International Expo on Tuesday evening, demanding the cancellation of the performance over allegations that the singer supports Israel.

The protesters, identifying themselves as members of a group called Persaudaraan Muslim (Muslim Brotherhood), were led by controversial hardline preacher Bahar Smith.

The crowd attempted to force its way into the concert venue but was confronted by security personnel guarding the entrances.

Tensions escalated as some protesters set traffic cones and road barriers on fire and threw smoke-producing fireworks toward security officers.

Scuffles and pushing broke out near the entrance as security personnel attempted to prevent the crowd from entering the venue.

The protesters accused Bocelli of supporting Israel, citing allegations that he had participated in a fundraising concert for the Israeli military in 2010.

Despite the unrest outside, Bocelli, 68, completed his performance before thousands of fans as part of his Romanza 30th Anniversary World Tour.

The Jakarta show marked the conclusion of his Indonesian concert appearances, following a performance at Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Central Java, in late October.

Organized by promoter Shoemaker Live, the concert opened with classical operatic selections before moving into a celebration of the 30th anniversary of Romanza, Bocelli's landmark album.

Indonesian soprano Lea Simanjuntak and internationally acclaimed violinist Rusanda Panfili joined Bocelli onstage as special guests.

The evening reached its climax with performances of two of his best-known songs, The Prayer and Con te partirò, the latter bringing the concert to an emotional close.

The performance ended with a standing ovation from the audience, despite the confrontation outside the venue.

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