MANAMA, Bahrain, Oct. 12 (UPI) -- Seven people were arrested Friday and many others sprayed with tear gas as pro-democracy protesters confronted riot police in the capital of Bahrain.
The demonstration was mostly peaceful, al-Manar reported. Protesters called for the end of rule by King Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa and the Sunni dynasty that has governed Bahrain for two centuries.
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"Down, down, Hamad," they chanted.
Bahrain, an archipelago of 33 islands in the Persian Gulf, is home to the U.S. 5th Fleet. A majority of residents are Shiite, and mass protests have been held almost daily for more than a year.
