In Pictures: Myanmar anti-coup protesters defy crackdown

Myanmar police fired into the air and used water cannon on Tuesday as protesters across the country defied bans on big gatherings to show their opposition to a military coup that halted a tentative transition to democracy.

The February 1 coup and subsequent detention of democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi have brought the largest demonstrations in more than a decade and a growing civil disobedience movement affecting hospitals, schools and government offices.

Witnesses said police fired guns into the air in the capital, Naypyidaw, as the crowd refused to disperse on the fourth straight day of protests.

One witness told Reuters that demonstrators ran away as guns were fired into the air. Media later reported that police were using rubber bullets.

Police had earlier fired water cannon at the protesters, who responded by throwing projectiles, the witness said. Footage on social media showed people running, with the sound of gunshots in the distance.

Police have arrested at least 27 demonstrators in the second-biggest city of Mandalay, including a journalist, local media organisations said.