Bahrain struggles to contain protests ahead of Sunday’s Formula 1 Grand Prix

Bahraini security forces fired stun grenades at demonstrators at a cultural exhibition in Manama, which was the scene of protests yesterday as the chaos in the capital city threatened to spiral out of control ahead of Sunday's Formula 1 Grand Prix.

According to the BBC demonstrators continued their revolt against the government, chanting slogans ''Down, down, F1'. Police officials reportedly fired rubber bullets as also deafening 'sound bombs' into the crowd which sent protesters and onlookers running.

The protestors demanded the release of Abdulhadi al-Khawaja an activist, who has been on hunger strike in prison for the last two months. A military court had convicted him in June of plotting against the state.

Human rights groups terming his trial as 'grossly unfair' have claimed that there was no evidence of Khawaja's involvement in the violence or protests against King Hamad Al Khalifa.

Bahrain's highest court is to decide on Khawaja's appeal against his conviction on Monday, a day after the Grand Prix.

Protestors seek to use the weekend's Formula 1 race to draw world attention to their year-long revolt against the government's continuing crackdown on the "Spring Uprising" campaign for democracy.