The protesters were demanding that President Joseph Kabila step down.

Opposition figures had vowed to push ahead with the demonstrations despite a ban.

In Kinshasa, police fired tear gas to disperse about a hundred supporters outside the home of opposition coalition head Felix Tshisekedi, AFP correspondents reported.

Mr Tshisekedi, who called the protests, was quoted by AFP as saying he urged people to take to the streets "to show that we've had enough of this regime which is on its way out".

The opposition want a transition of power by 31 December.

But the electoral commission announced at the beginning of November that the election will be almost a year later on 23 December 2018.

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