Bahrain Grand Prix: Protester found dead after clashes with authorities But violence flared as small groups in the march peeled away from the route to challenge riot police, who answered with volleys of tear gas and stun grenades. Some protesters sought refuge in a shopping mall and nearby shops about 12 miles north of the Formula One track, where practice runs took place and Bahrain's crown prince vowed the country's premier international event would go ahead. On Saturday morning the authorities deployed armoured vehicles on the streets of the capital and the main road leading to the race track. Hot spot: a Bahraini protester holds a Molotov cocktail during clashes with riot police in Manama on Friday (GETTY IMAGES) Last year, a wave of anti-government protests by the island's Shiite majority and a crackdown by the Sunni rulers forced organisers to cancel the 2011 Bahrain GP. At least 50 people have been killed since the start of Bahrain's uprising - the longest-running in the Arab Spring - which seeks a greater political voice for Shiites and to weaken the near monopoly of the Sunni dynasty that has ruled for more than 200 years.