Ugandan Protest Leader Arrested Amid Violence

Ugandan police have arrested opposition leader Kizza Besigye for the third time this month after using tear gas to break up a fuel price protest.

Officers fired at people staging a "walk to work" demonstration, who responded with a barrage of stones.

A series of protests, banned by President Yoweri Museveni, have so far left four people dead, three in the northern town of Gulu and one in the Ugandan capital, Kampala.

A police spokesman said there had also been rioting in Masaka, a town south of Kampala.

Mr Besigye was arrested with three other members and charged with unlawful assembly.

All four pleaded not guilty and will remain in custody until a bail hearing on April 27.

The opposition leader told the court: "I am under police persecution and the police are using the court to further the abuse of my rights.

"The court and the police are on trial as to whether they can act in the interests of the population."

Following the arrests a police spokesman claimed the city was under control, saying: "It is calm but we are monitoring more as we have some intelligence that people are planning to gather in different areas."

President Museveni defeated Mr Besigye in the February elections but has since faced mounting pressure from the opposition over the rising cost of living.

Mr Besigye had warned that Uganda was ripe for an Egypt-style revolt but has stopped short of calling for mass street protests to demand regime change.

Earlier this week, the Ugandan authorities attempted to hamper the protesters plans by blocking online social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

The Ugandan governent came under fire from human rights groups in January after the murder of a leading gay rights activist.