A demonstration has been held outside Tonga's Palace Office against Shoreline Power Limited over high electricity charges.
The Democracy Movement organised the march, calling for the power supply to be taken from the Shoreline company, which is partly owned by the Crown Prince.
A government proposal on the eve of the march to lower power prices for three months failed to deter people from protesting.
Our correspondent, Mateni Tapueluelu, says almost nine thousand people attended the march, far more than earlier expected.
He says the Crown Prince never wanted the people to confront him this way.
"There's never been an issue in which the people and the royal family have come face to face but this. And I think he tried very much to avoid that. It didn't happen. A lot of people turned out today, in fact it surprised the police department, it did surprise the Prime Minister's office. The protest went past and the Prime Minister's office were just watching in silence."
Mateni Tapueluelu
