Liberia's government on Tuesday banned street protests to prevent unrest while electoral authorities probed a charge of fraud made by one of the contenders of a presidential run-off, Reuters reported. "Government hereby bans all street demonstrations that are not authorised by the ministry of justice," Gyude Bryant, head of the interim government formed in 2003 after Liberia's civil war, said in an address to the nation. Supporters of soccer star George Weah have staged several street protests after official voting returns showed Weah had been beaten in the run-off by former Finance Minister Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. Weah has complained the vote was rigged and electoral authorities have promised an investigation. Weah supporters, many of them fanatical young fans of the former AC Milan striker, clashed on Friday with United Nations peacekeepers, who dispersed them with tear gas and batons. --More 2223 Local Time 1923 GMT
