Seven killed as mass demos rock Sudan

Seven people were killed Sunday as tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets to demand civilian rule in the first mass rally since a bloody crackdown on demonstrators -- a show of street power despite heavy troop deployments by the ruling generals.

The "million-man" march had been seen as a test for protest organisers after their push for civilian rule was hit by the June 3 raid on a Khartoum protest camp and a subsequent internet blackout that curbed their ability to mobilise support.

Dozens of demonstrators were killed and hundreds wounded when armed men in military fatigues stormed the sit-in on June 3 outside army headquarters, shooting and beating protesters who had camped there since April 6.

On Sunday, police fired tear gas on protesters approaching the presidential palace after organisers called for a march on the building that houses offices of the ruling transitional military council, an AFP correspondent reported.

"We call on our revolutionary people in the ...