December 18, 2003	Thursday	Shawwal 23, 1424

MANAMA, Dec 17: Police on Wednesday arrested at least four Bahrainis who set fire to tyres hours after several thousand protesters marched to denounce past human rights abuses there.

Witnesses saw riot police fire tear gas and beat up some protesters, who had set tyres and garbage cans alight in the smart Sanabis neighbourhood here.

Earlier, thousands of Bahrainis held an angry rally that led to scuffles between some demonstrators and security forces.

That demonstration ended without arrests after organisers persuaded riot police to keep their distance.—Reuters