(BBC) – Rival marches have been held in Bolivia’s constitutional capital, Sucre, as the nation celebrates 200 years of independence from Spain.

Thousands of Indians, who support Bolivia’s indigenous President Evo Morales, demanded an end to what they described as racism in the country.

Meanwhile, soldiers in ceremonial uniforms led an official parade.

Police were on alert, following last year’s violent attacks on Indians on the streets of the city.

Indians were allegedly picked out and beaten, some stripped and publicly humiliated, the BBC’s Candace Piette in Sucre reports.

President Morales – who kicked off the festivities by appearing before indigenous farmers in an Andean town on Friday – is boycotting the celebrations in Sucre out of respect for the victims of violence.

Sucre has kept many of it Spanish colonial habits and is an intensely conservative place, our correspondent says.