Thousands hold peaceful protest in Bahrain

Tens of thousands of people chanting anti-government slogans and holding up pictures of jailed activists have taken part in Bahrain's first authorised opposition protest since June.

No clashes occurred at Friday's march along a three kilometre stretch of a highway west of the capital Manama.

Protesters carried Bahraini flags and held up images of rights activist and protest leader Nabeel Rajab, calling for his release.

Bahrain, where the US Fifth Fleet is based, has been in crisis since a revolt led by majority Shia Muslims began 18 months ago to demand democracy in the Sunni-ruled kingdom.

The line of protesters stretched for at least three kilometers.

Friday's march was the first government-approved protest event since a temporary ban was imposed earlier this summer.

Other marches have been held on without government approval, often resulting in clashes with security.

Bahrain has been hit by nearly nonstop unrest since February 2011 when majority Shiites began demonstrations for greater rights from the Western-backed Sunni monarchy.

The rally, under the banner "Democratic Freedom" and organised by opposition groups led by the biggest bloc, al-Wefaq, was the first since the interior ministry banned Wefaq-led marches in June, saying these had ended in violence.

Since the ban, protests have continued in villages around the country.

On 22 August, protesters pelted police with petrol bombs and stones at the funeral of a teenage demonstrator killed by police gunfire the previous week.

Rajab was sentenced two weeks ago to three years in prison on three counts of leading illegal protests, a verdict that drew criticism from Washington.