An opposition MP has been detained after a protest on Nauru disrupted a sitting of the tiny Pacific nation's parliament.
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Protesters were milling near the parliament building, angry at allegations of government corruption and calling for a lifting of a year-long suspension of five opposition MPs on Tuesday.
The situation was tense with police attempting to barricade off a large crowd outside the building.
Footage taken with a mobile phone showed smoke, believed to be from boating flares, rising amid the protesters near parliament. . Protesters also crowded in the narrow breeze-way at the parliament entrance.
Nauru's government condemned the protest, calling it a riot, saying parliament was vandalised and windows smashed.
It said in a statement "as many as ten" police were taken to hospital "after being pelted with rocks by the protestors, none of whom suffered any injury at all".
But protesters claimed injuries on both sides.
Nauru - host of an Australian camp for processing asylum seeker claims - attempted to ban access to Facebook on the island last month and has previously censored local media.
Fairfax Media reported this month Australian federal police were preparing to lay criminal charges over allegations President Waqa and Justice Minister David Adeang accepted bribes from an Australian company.
ABC Television aired details of the alleged corruption, which Nauru's government has vehemently denied.
Nauru's former president and one of the suspended MPs, Sprent Dabwido, told Fairfax Media that Mr Waqa and Mr Adeang should step down to allow for an investigation of the corruption allegations.
Another suspended MP, Mathew Batsuia, was arrested "on a charge of disrupting the legislature", according to the government statement.
Three of the five opposition MPs were suspended for criticising the government in interviews with international media, with salaries also suspended.
Mr Batsuia's wife Tricia said her husband had been detained after being told Nauru President Baron Waqa wanted to see him.
"He was told the president wanted to speak with him. He was allowed into the building and as he entered, he was arrested," Mrs Batsuia said.
Australia's offshore processing centre holds about 1000 asylum seekers as part of the so-called Pacific Solution.
Refugees settled on the island have protested previously, but this protest group is believed to be mostly Nauruan locals.
Mr Adeang said the government respected the right for anyone to protest legally and peacefully.
"What we witnessed this morning was nothing short of a disgrace and totally against Nauruan law which is to protect its citizens," he said in the statement.
Nauru's government did not respond to questions from Fairfax Media.