Riot police clashed with hundreds of anti-government protesters Friday in the Bahrain capital of Manama.

Police fired tear gas and stun grenades to curb the protest, the Associated Press reported.

Reuters reported that about 10 people were arrested.

Outside the city, thousands marched in a peaceful protest that was permitted by the government.

That protest was organized by the main opposition bloc, al-Wefaq, under the slogan "Stop the shedding of our blood, we will not give up our demands," according to Reuters.

Bahrain, which is home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, began experiencing protests early last year when members of the Shiite majority called for a larger political voice in the Sunni-ruled Gulf nation.

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