Small-scale clashes have erupted in two Bahraini villages as security forces tightened their grip on Shia communities for today's 'Day of Rage' protests inspired by upheavals in Egypt and Tunisia.
Helicopters circled over the capital Manama, where protestors gathered in the afternoon, and police cars have stepped up their presence in Shia villages, breaking up one protest with teargas and rubber bullets.
At least 14 people were injured in clashes overnight.
Bahrain, where a Sunni family rules over a Shia majority, has offered cash payouts in the run-up to the protest to prevent Shia discontent from bubbling over as popular revolts spread in the Arab world.
'We call on all Bahraini people - men, women, boys and girls - to share in our rallies in a peaceful and civilised way to guarantee a stable and promising future for ourselves and our children,' Bahraini activists said in a statement issued on Twitter.
'We would like to stress that 14 February is only the beginning. The road may be long and the rallies may continue for days and weeks, but if a people one day chooses life, then destiny will respond.'
Diplomats say Bahrain's demonstrations, organised on Facebook and Twitter, will be a gauge of whether a larger base of Shias can be drawn onto the streets.
The big test will be if demonstrations take hold in Manama, where demonstrations are rare.
Big protests in the Gulf Arab island state could embolden other marginalised Shias in nearby Saudi Arabia, political analysts say.
There was no immediate comment from Bahraini authorities.
