Hundreds of Sudanese protesters defied the authorities’ ban on rallies and took to the streets of the capital Khartoum and its twin city of Omdurman Thursday to call on President Omar al-Bashir to step down.
Crowds gathered in and around Khartoum in the first protests since Bashir set up special tribunals this week under a state of emergency declared to combat the unprecedented wave of protests threatening his three-decade rule.
Security forces fired tear gas at about 400 protesters at Omdurman grand market. The protesters chanted an anti-Bashir slogan: "Down, that's it".
"We came out today because we have no alternative," said protester Siddiq, who gave only his first name for security reasons.
"The only alternative we have is to overthrow this regime. We will continue despite the state of emergency."
Police also confronted hundreds more with tear gas in the Wad Nubawi neighborhood of Omdurman, witnesses said.
Deadly clashes surrounding protests have rocked Sudan for more than two months, with demonstrators taking to the streets since December 19 after a government decision to triple the price of bread. The protests swiftly mushroomed into nationwide rallies against Bashir's rule, with people calling on him to step down.
Last week Bashir declared a year-long state of emergency across the country, and issued a slew of orders to curb nationwide protests against his rule, including a ban on any unauthorized rallies.
He also gave sweeping powers to security forces to carry out raids and search people.
Sudanese officials say 31 people have died in protest-related violence so far, while Human Rights Watch says at least 51 have been killed, including medics and children.
Bashir has remained defiant. Last week he also dissolved the federal and provincial governments and appointed 16 army officers and two officers from the feared National Intelligence and Security Service as provincial governors.
The United States, Britain, Norway and Canada have criticized the state of emergency, calling it as Sudan's "return to military rule".
Khartoum dismissed their rebuke as an "intervention" in its internal affairs.
