Bahraini protesters threw rocks and paint bombs through a fog of tear gas at police vehicles on Monday, in the latest clashes to erupt over the jailing of a prominent opposition leader.
Authorities announced they had extended the detention of opposition leader and Shiite cleric Sheikh Ali Salman for another 15 days.
In Salman's hometown of Bilad al-Qadeem - a suburb of the capital Manama - a protest march began shortly after word of the extended detention spread. Riot police opened fire with tear gas as marchers approached.
Police responded to stones, paint bombs and other projectiles with round after round of tear gas. Many of the masked demonstrators held up photos of Salman and waved Bahraini flags.
Salman's lawyer says the cleric was formally charged on Sunday with inciting a change of government by force, inciting hatred of a segment of society, inciting others to break the law and insulting the Interior Ministry in speeches made between 2012 and now.
The country's Shiite majority has led protests demanding political reform from the Sunni-led monarchy since February 2011.
Salman, secretary general of the main opposition group al-Wefaq, has been under arrest since December 28th.
Since his arrest, violent clashes between protesters and riot police have erupted daily in opposition villages and neighbourhoods nationwide.
AP
In Salman's hometown of Bilad al-Qadeem - a suburb of the capital Manama - a protest march began shortly after word of the extended detention spread. Riot police opened fire with tear gas as marchers approached.
Police responded to stones, paint bombs and other projectiles with round after round of tear gas. Many of the masked demonstrators held up photos of Salman and waved Bahraini flags.
Salman's lawyer says the cleric was formally charged on Sunday with inciting a change of government by force, inciting hatred of a segment of society, inciting others to break the law and insulting the Interior Ministry in speeches made between 2012 and now.
The country's Shiite majority has led protests demanding political reform from the Sunni-led monarchy since February 2011.
Salman, secretary general of the main opposition group al-Wefaq, has been under arrest since December 28th.
Since his arrest, violent clashes between protesters and riot police have erupted daily in opposition villages and neighbourhoods nationwide.
AP
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