Sunday, Pope Francis expressed his "solidarity with the Burmese people" following the military coup in Myanmar, urging the army to work for "democratic coexistence."

After reciting the Angelus prayer in the Vatican, he said, "I pray to God that the officials in the country sincerely commit themselves to serving the common good by promoting social justice and national stability, in order to achieve democratic coexistence."

Earlier Sunday, tens of thousands of Burmese protested in Rangoon against the military coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi, the de facto head of the civilian government, in the largest gathering since popular protests in 2007. 

The country's internet service was partially restored.

The demonstrators, who numbered about 100,000, according to many estimates, gathered in front of the municipality building of the country's economic capital, where riot police were heavily deployed. 

Journalists from Agence France-Presse reported that large gatherings were taking place in several cities in the country.

"We do not want a dictatorship, we want democracy," protesters chanted Sunday in Rangoon to the noise of trumpets. Demonstrators presented flowers to the police while others held placards reading "Release Mother Suu," referring to Aung San Suu Kyi.

"We will continue to gather until we get democracy. Dictatorship falls," said Miu Win, 37.

Not far away, protesters held up banners reading "Respect our vote" and "Release Mother Suu," referring to Aung San Suu Kyi. Others waved the flags of her "National League for Democracy" party and raised the three-finger resistance emblem.

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