New anti-French rallies in China

Hundreds of people have staged protests in four Chinese cities against the French supermarket chain Carrefour.

Demonstrators carried banners opposing Tibetan independence and supporting the Olympic Games - which will be held in Beijing in August.

Carrefour became a target for activists in China after the Olympic torch relay was disrupted by pro-Tibetan protesters in the French capital, Paris.

The supermarket has issued a statement saying it is not involved in politics.

In April there was a rash of anti-French protests focusing on Carrefour stores, following the Olympic torch's difficult passage through Paris.

A pro-Tibetan protester had tried to snatch the torch from Paralympian fencer Jin Jing during the Paris leg of the relay.

The incident received huge coverage in China's state-run media, and rumours began to circulate on web forums that Carrefour gave funding to pro-Tibetan groups - which it denies.

During April there were protests outside Carrefour stores involving thousands of people in a dozen Chinese cities.

The authorities have been calling for calm in recent weeks.

But placard-waving protesters gathered outside Carrefour stores in south-eastern city of Fuzhou, Shenyang in the north-east, and Changsha, capital of the central province of Hunan.

The BBC's Dan Griffiths, in Beijing, says a handful of protesters have been detained outside one store in the capital.

He says the latest protests are much smaller than previous demonstrations against Carrefour.