Bahrain: Shia Protesters Clash With Police

Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Bahrain to protest against the continued presence of a Saudi-led military force deployed to put down Shia-led demonstrations.

Firebombs and stones were thrown at riot police in several Shia villages by protesters chanting "No, no Saudi occupier" and "Down (King) Hamad," witnesses said.

Others shouted: "Bahrain free, free, Peninsula Shield out, out."

The Peninsula Shield Force - led by Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia - moved into Bahrain to help restore order in the Gulf kingdom in March 2011 after protesters had spent a month camped out in Manama's financial centre.

The protesters blocked roads into Shia villages outside the capital using large tree trunks, rubbish bins and burning tyres.

In a statement on Twitter, Bahrain's interior ministry said that an act of "sabotage" had taken place on the main Budaiya road which links several Shia villages.

"The road was blocked and a vehicle was set alight," said the ministry.

The main Shia opposition group Al Wefaq said at least 35 protesters were wounded as tear gas and sound bombs were used in an attempt to disperse the crowds.

The majority Shias are seeking a greater political voice in the Sunni-ruled kingdom.

Home to the US Fifth Fleet, Bahrain has continued to witness sporadic demonstrations since the Gulf force arrived, now mostly outside the capital.

The International Federation for Human Rights says around 80 people have been killed in Bahrain since the violence first broke out on February 14, 2011.