Hundreds of hardline opposition activists marched on Friday towards Bahrain's royal court despite a warning from the interior ministry.

Carrying Bahraini flags and flowers, several thousand protesters began walking from the Aly area to Riffa.

Near a clocktower in Riffa, about a thousand residents of the Riffa area gathered to block the protesters' advance.

The interior ministry earlier warned that the march on the royal court was a threat to internal security and its forces would intervene to prevent clashes.   

In a strong statement, the interior ministry said it would hold the organisers and participants of the protest responsible should any violence break out.   

'The march that some people are trying to hold today to the Riffa area threatens security and social peace,' it said.   

'The interior ministry holds the organisers and participants of this march responsible for the consequences and reiterates the need to avert any confrontation among the residents that could result in unnecessary loss of life.'    

'Under these conditions...the interior ministry confirms that forces to defend public order will be present to prevent any clash that may occur between the residents,' it said.

'The interior ministry guarantees freedom of expression, but affirms at the same time that national responsibility means mutual respect among citizens to ensure national unity and aims to maintain social and civil peace.'    

Moderate opposition leaders also urged hardliners to cancel the march, warning it could spark clashes between Shi'ites protesting against the government and Sunnis who support it.

Bahrain's top Shi'ite Muslim cleric warned protesters not to slip into a sectarian conflict with Sunni Muslims that would undermine the opposition's campaign for political reform.   

'I say to all our people, Sunnis and Shi'ite, that it is forbidden to shed the blood of anyone under any pretext. We must all hold those who are inciting sectarian conflict accountable for what they are doing,' Sheikh Issa said in his Friday sermon. - Reuters