CAIRO -- Hundreds of Egyptian students rallied at Cairo University Saturday to protest U.S. policies on Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Organizers said some 3,000 demonstrators took part, but police put the number at just 1,000.

"Down With America, Down With Israel," the protestors chanted, demanding an end to the diplomatic relations between Egypt and the Jewish state established following the 1979 Camp David Agreement.

Demonstrations on the streets have been banned here since a state of emergency was imposed after the 1981 assassination of president Anwar Sadat, but they are generally tolerated at mosques and university campuses, AFP reported.