Bahrain's interior minister has been sacked after police attacked protesters angry at the presence of US-led forces in Shia holy cities in Iraq. King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa on Friday replaced Shaikh Muhammad bin Khalifa al-Khalifa with another member of the royal family, Rashid bin Abd Allah bin Ahmad al-Khalifa, the official news agency said. "We share the anger of our people over the oppression and aggression taking place in Palestine and in the holy shrines (in Iraq). People had a right to peaceful protests. We are investigating," the agency quoted the king as saying. Police earlier clashed with thousands of angry demonstrators in the capital Manama. More than 20 people were hurt, including Jawad Firuz, a Shia opposition activist and member of Manama city council. "He received a rubber bullet in the head and is now in hospital undergoing an operation," his brother Jalal Firuz said. "Many women and children fainted from inhaling gas. This is completely unjustified. It was a peaceful rally." **Violent clashes*** Violence broke out on Friday after police fired tear gas to disperse thousands of demonstrators demanding the withdrawal of US forces from the southern Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala. One police car was set on fire. "Death to America ... death to Israel," chanted the protesters in the pro-Western Gulf Arab state, home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet. "America must leave our holy shrines ... This is a red line they cannot cross. They are playing with fire," said a banner carried by the demonstrators. US-led forces have been battling followers of the Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr in and around the two Iraqi cities. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Protestors stand on a hill waving flags behind a burning security force vehicle in the Bahraini capital of Manama, May 21, 2004. (Reuters)