Protesters, human rights activists and observers say riot police are brutally suppressing peaceful marches.

The largely peaceful marches were monitored by police and soldiers.

Protest leaders also asked for his help to better organise their peaceful marches in future.

New Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq said the interior minister should not obstruct Friday's peaceful marches.

It has seen peaceful marches as well as melees between hooded demonstrators and riot police.

We had many peaceful marches, and they ignored us.

Even the peaceful marches involve lots of shouting for justice, which can project any virus further.

They also criticized the media for focusing coverage on violent clashes rather than the broader peaceful marches.

The initially peaceful marches were denounced as "riots".

Demonstrations have ranged from peaceful marches to violent clashes between police and hooded protesters hurling rocks and Molotov cocktails.

Elsewhere, peaceful marches were held after Friday prayers in the capital cities of former French colonies Mali, Senegal and Mauritania.

The president of the Central Union of Workers (CUT) called for peaceful marches in comments to Reuters early on Wednesday.

As a result Wilson pressed Captain O'Neill hard in November 1968 on franchise reform, and on the use of emergency powers against peaceful marches.

The ANC called for peaceful marches, saying it had received reports of people seeking to take up arms in the name of the ANC.

Peaceful marches took place after Friday prayers in the capital cities of former French colonies Mali, Senegal and Mauritania.