Bahrain police used tear gas Monday to disperse anti-government protesters and arrested several of them, including a human rights activist, in the heart of the capital Manama. Protesters demanded democracy and the ouster of the government, which was charged of crippling the national economy. By noon, roads were blocked and shops were shut down as hundreds of protesters took to the streets and defied the warning of the police. The demonstrators were dispersed after the police fired tear gas and the interior ministry announced several people were arrested in connection with illegal rally and rioting.