In one of the most violent confrontations since troops killed seven protesters last month, police used tear gas and water cannon to break up demonstrations against the kingdom's royal family on Sunday, March 14. Witnesses said rubber bullets were also fired by police. Bahrain is gripped in its worst unrest since the 1990s For several weeks now the Shi'ite majority has held rallies complaining against what it says is discrimination by the ruling Sunni minority.