Urumqi residents confronted armed police in the downtown area of the city Friday noon, protesting against fresh needle attacks.

Tear gas has been deployed to disperse the protesters, a Xinhua reporter at the scene said.

More than 1,000 protesters faced up to armed police who blocked them from entering Nanhu Square at about 1:40 p.m..

Another group of more than 100 young protesters took to the street on Jiefangnan Road at about 2:30 p.m..

(Xinhua News Agency September 4, 2009)