Bahrain forces patrol capital on revolt anniversary

By Andrew Hammond

MANAMA (Reuters) - Armoured vehicles patrolled Bahrain's capital on Tuesday in a security clampdown to deter protesters after overnight clashes outside Manama on the first anniversary of a forcibly suppressed pro-democracy uprising.

Youths threw petrol bombs at police cars during skirmishes before dawn, prompting authorities to flood Shi'ite villages around Manama with police reinforcements backed by helicopters.

Police fired tear gas at two dozen protesters near the former Pearl Roundabout, focal point of last year's protests, nearly hitting several people as canisters bounced off cars.

"They fired straight at us, they weren't even shooting in the air," said one protester after a passing driver hauled him into his car.

Other groups that appeared later were also doused with tear gas and about 30 people in total were arrested, some of them dragged from their cars on apparent suspicion of being protesters aiming to clog up the highway near the roundabout.

Prominent activist Nabeel Rajab, who led the protesters, was detained, as were six American activists in the country as part of a Witness Bahrain group to monitor how police handle demonstrators.

The government said in a statement it would deport them. Two

others in the group were deported on Sunday after the government said they had entered Bahrain on tourist visas.