Clashes mark Bahrain anniversary - FT.com Bahrain's opposition movement marked the anniversary of the 2011 pro-democracy uprising with marches and protests in the capital that were met with a tough response from riot police. For many, the day's goal was to reach the Pearl roundabout, the centre of the original protests, which authorities demolished during a brutal clampdown on the opposition. Police appeared determined to prevent protesters from reaching the area, firing volleys of teargas and rubber pellets at marches which headed in its direction throughout the day. An unknown number of protesters were injured, including a woman who said she had been shot in the foot with a teargas canister. Arrests were reported across Bahrain, including at least 20 who were seen being brought to a police station near Sanabis, a village close to the roundabout. In the early morning, youths wearing white shrouds indicating their willingness to die ran en masse towards the fenced-off area. Witnesses said dozens of young men and women ran through the streets of Sanabis, before being repelled by policemen using rubber pellets and sound bombs. Accompanied by several young women with first aid kits, they continued to gather on the streets through the morning, prompting police to fire teargas rounds as youths staged further attempts to march. Some places of work warned staff not to be absent on the anniversary of the uprising. In the afternoon, Nabeel Rajab, the prominent Bahraini human rights activist, walked with international observers along Bahrain's main highway in an attempt to return to the roundabout. Police fired teargas at Mr Rajab and detained him as traffic crawled to a halt. He was allowed to leave after brief questioning. Later, four armoured personnel vehicles stormed into Sanabis, as hundreds of youths took control of the area, setting barricades and chanting slogans against the king. The convoy drove through wooden blockades, firing tear gas at youths who hurled rocks and Molotov cocktails at the heavily armoured vehicles. One family in Sanabis said a teargas canister was thrown into their house, with the gas was so overpowering that masks were needed to enter the home. In response to queries about the incident, a government statement said the ministry of interior would investigate claims of improper behaviour, and that police "only use teargas where absolutely necessary" to prevent harm to the public. "Vandals and rioters cannot be left to harm ordinary citizens," the statement said, adding that a hotline was available for citizens to report such cases for investigation by authorities. As night fell, police continued to fire teargas down alleyways strewn with debris. Adnan, one of the riot police, said five of his colleagues had been injured across Bahrain. "Is this peaceful?" he asked, saying he had barely slept for five days. They want to block the highway, but they have caused too much damage to the economy. We won't let them reach there.