KUWAIT CITY — Police in Kuwait used tear gas and stun grenades on Sunday against antigovernment protesters defying orders not to stage marches through the Gulf nation’s capital.
Demonstrators were allowed to gather outside Parliament to protest changes in voting rules for elections set for Dec. 1. But other groups broke away and staged defiant processions through Kuwait City.
No injuries were immediately reported, but the clashes highlighted the deepening tensions between Kuwait’s Western-allied ruling family and opposition factions led by Islamists.
Opposition groups have objected to changes in voting rules for the upcoming elections that they say could undercut their rising clout in the oil-producing nation.
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Kuwait has the most politically empowered Parliament among the Gulf Arab states, with opposition lawmakers often directly challenging government officials over alleged corruption and power abuses.
Kuwait’s deepening political crisis could bring further rifts in one of Washington’s most important Gulf allies.