By Vincent Fertey and Hachem Sidi Salem
NOUAKCHOTT (Reuters) - Mauritanian police fired tear gas and beat union members Tuesday during the second demonstration this week against a military junta that seized power in a coup two months ago, Reuters witnesses saw.
Police with batons beat union activists holding posters of ousted President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, the Saharan state's first freely elected leader. He has been detained since being toppled on August 6 when he tried to fire military chiefs.
Protesters threw rocks at police patrols who chased groups of demonstrators around the streets of the capital Nouakchott, forcing their way into some private homes in their pursuit.
Unions organised the demonstration at a market in the city centre in defiance of a police ban, two days after a similar protest by political parties opposed to the coup that was also banned and led to minor clashes.
"They have orders to neutralise us. They beat me severely just to stop these demonstrations, but we've decided to carry on to the end," said union leader Abderahmane Ould Boubou. "We will never allow them to take away our freedom of expression."
Medical sources said at least two people were treated in hospital for light injuries.
'NATIONAL CONSULTATIONS'
Tensions in the mostly desert Islamic republic, which mines iron ore and exports a small amount of crude oil, have risen sharply since the Muslim holy month of Ramadan ended last week.
The junta has said after Ramadan it will hold a series of "national consultations" ahead of a free, transparent election, but has banned all public demonstrations in the meantime.
"We demand constitutional legality be restored, that the soldiers quit and a democratic state be installed. We are resolved to respond firmly to any vicious behaviour by the police," said Samory Ould Beye, secretary-general of the Free Confederation of Mauritanian Workers.
This week's demonstrations have come either side of a deadline Monday for the junta to free the ousted president or face sanctions from the continental bloc.
The African Union suspended Mauritania shortly after the coup, and a series of mediation missions by AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping have yielded little.
It is unclear what further sanctions the African Union would impose on Mauritania, especially as several of its members in the region have given their tacit approval to the coup.
The African Union acknowledged the passing of the deadline at midnight Monday but said only that Ping would propose concrete steps on how to proceed "at an opportune time."
Overseas donors like the United States, France and the World Bank acted quickly to cut aid after the coup and the European Union is reviewing its aid.
The junta-appointed prime minister, Moulaye Ould Laghdaf, said last week Mauritania may turn instead to Arab partners, but the administration is nevertheless isolated at a time its forces are struggling to stem the spread of al Qaeda.
Al Qaeda's North African arm has launched a series of attacks in Mauritania in the past year, and beheaded 11 soldiers and their civilian guide last month near the country's main iron ore mine in the remote northwestern Sahara.
(Writing by Alistair Thomson; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
