By MOHAMMED AL A'ALI

Gangs of youths brought chaos and destruction to the Seef District last night as they rioted in the streets, setting refuse on fire and smashing car windows in protest at a concert in Bahrain by Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram.

Riot police armed with batons, shields and firing tear gas were out in force but the disturbances which started at 9pm last night were still going on in the early hours today.

Hundreds of youths, many of them masked, took part in the riots which centred in the area around the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) where the concert was held.

Youths were seen running wild in the area, clashing with police and throwing rocks and stones. Tyres and debris could be seen burning at the roadside and on waste land in the area.

Early this morning, the rioters smashed sets of traffic lights in the Daih and Seef areas.

One of the youths taking part in the riots told the GDN they regarded Ajram's act as indecent and hoped to persuade the government not to allow similar acts to be held in Bahrain again.

Sources reported seeing at least 13 cars, including police vehicles, with their windows smashed in. A one-month-old girl collapsed at the scene while a number of policemen were also injured.

However, by early this morning no cases involving injury had been reported to the Salmaniya Medical Complex.

Despite the violence, the concert went ahead as scheduled.

Nancy defies rioters - Page 3.