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Police used force to break up an anti-government march in the Bahraini capital, using tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of peaceful protesters.

Around 200 people gathered on Saturday at the Standard Chartered bank near Bahrain's diplomatic district and set off toward Pearl Roundabout, the centre of last year's uprising. Many chanted "to the roundabout" as they marched, but they were quickly met by riot police, who warned them the rally was unauthorised.

"We gathered in Manama, and we went out and the riot police came, and [they] told us this was an illegal gathering," said one activist. "Then they stopped talking and shot us with tear gas."

It is unclear whether anyone was injured. Witnesses said at least one protester was detained and driven away in a police van. The march was organised by Nabeel Rajab, the head of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights. 

Roads blocked

Tensions in Bahrain have been rising ahead of Tuesday's one-year anniversary of the first large-scale protests in the island kingdom.

Last year's uprising was brutally crushed in March, when security forces cleared Pearl Roundabout, and troops from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Gulf countries were deployed to Bahrain.

Scattered protests have continued, most of them confined to the predominantly Shia villages outside the capital. Security forces used tear gas to break up several of ... >>>