MANAMA: Thousands of Bahrainis staged a peaceful march on Friday in the first of a series of protests the opposition is planning to hold before next week's Formula One Grand Prix race.

Police stayed away from Friday's demonstration as protesters denounced king Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa and Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, his uncle. “You have no legitimacy,” they chanted.

The Gulf Arab state, where the US Navy's Fifth Fleet is based, has been hit by unrest since pro-democracy protests broke out in early 2011, putting it in the frontline of the region-wide power struggle between Iran and  Saudi Arabia.

Waving the red-and-white Bahraini flag, the demonstrators marched from one main roundabout to another in the village of al-Aali, some 15 km (nine miles) outside the capital Manama.

“The Formula One is used by the regime to advertise that there is nothing wrong in Bahrain,” said Abdelwahid al-Nadhkhadha, a 53-year-old company employee.

“We are showing the world that we are people with demands.”

Watched by millions around the world, the Grand Prix is the biggest sporting event hosted by the US-allied country whose government is hoping for a big turnout despite continuing violent unrest.

The race at the Sakhir desert circuit was cancelled in 2011 when protests were crushed and at least 35 people died.—Reuters