A 12-year-old girl, Samantha Miranda, said the police sprayed pepper gas in her face and in her father's mouth.

Activists reported police sprayed people directly in the eyes, and even removed protesters' goggles to do so.

The demonstrations, which drew 35,000 protesters, turned tumultuous as the police sprayed pepper gas and vandals smashed store windows.

It was 15 minutes after an initial clash when the police stormed onto the plaza outside the two great mosques and sprayed a Palestinian crowd with gunfire.

The police had also sprayed part of their hair with the brown dye to mark them, presumably in case they managed to escape.

The police sprayed the group with tear gas and arrested 16 people.

He was at Columbia when students commandeered buildings and the police sprayed the protesters with tear gas.

Most demonstrators were peaceful; however, late in the day conflict broke out at DuPont Circle, and the police sprayed the crowd with tear gas.

The witness said that police, without prior warning, sprayed water and descended on the demonstrators, using rubber truncheons and electric prods.

When they reached a hut from which shots had come earlier, the police hurled tear gas and sprayed the hut with gunfire, she said.