Hundreds of youths have clashed with police in cities across Tunisia, throwing stones and petrol bombs in the capital as security forces fired tear gas and water cannon to try to quell the unrest.

Rioting and protests have followed the 10th anniversary of a revolution that brought democracy but few material gains for most Tunisians, with anger growing at chronic joblessness and poor state services.

However, with no clear agenda, political leadership or backing from major parties, it is not clear whether the demonstrations will gain momentum or die down, as many previous rounds of protests have since 2011.

An interior ministry spokesman said on Monday that police detained 632 people on Sunday alone after what it called rioting across the country that included looting and attacks on property. Most of the detainees were aged 15-20, it said.