Manama: More than 10,000 government loyalists demonstrated in the Bahraini capital late on Monday in a show of support for the government, grappling with unprecedented protests.
Queues of cars 5km long snaked towards Manama's Fateh mosque, crammed with supporters waving red and white national flags and chanting slogans backing the government.
Across town at Pearl Roundabout, focal point of protests this month by Bahrain's opposition, some 10,000 were gathered demanding sweeping reforms in a country they say has discriminated against their majority community for decades.
Loyalists say differences should be resolved in parliament, where the opposition Wefaq bloc held 18 of 40 seats until it quit parliament after riot police stormed the Pearl Roundabout protesters last Thursday, killing four people.
A total of seven people have been killed and hundreds wounded in Bahrain's worst unrest since the 1990s, inspired in part by unprecedented revolts in Egypt and Tunisia.
Sami Al Buhairi, a pro-government politician from the Asalah bloc, said that opposition leaders should sit down with the government for talks to end the turmoil.
"This is the best democracy in the Arab world," said Al Buhairi after attending an earlier pro-government rally. "There's parliament, there's a constitution, there are rules."
‘No problems'
At another loyalist demonstration some people said opposition complaints they are treated as second-class citizens were unjustified.
"There are no problems in Bahrain. Do you see any problems?" asked Abu Ali, pointing to the procession of about 1,000 supporters of the royal family.
Teenagers revved up the engines of their 4x4s and pick-up trucks and music blared out.
