The Catholic bishops of the Democratic Republic of Congo have asked their people to “demonstrate peacefully,” after a bloody confrontation with UN peacekeeping forces.

The bishops’ statement expressed sympathy for the popular outrage, after clashes in which 35 people died and 170 were injured. The country’s government has asked the UN peacekeepers to leave the country.

A spokesman for the UN mission said that the peacekeeping force was needed because the government could not provide security in the eastern part of the country, where rebels are active.