BUCHAREST, Romania - More than 6,000 inmates at 24 prisons around Romania took part in hunger strikes and other protests Sunday to demand amnesty and better living conditions.

The protests came days after a parliamentary committee rejected a bill that would have given an estimated 10,000 prisoners with sentences under five years early release from prison.

In penitentiaries in Bucharest, Craiova and other cities, inmates began protesting Saturday and continued Sunday, banging on doors and windows, setting sheets on fire or refusing food.

Human rights groups have criticized the harsh living conditions in Romanian prisons, which are severely overcrowded and poorly funded. In many prisons, inmates have to share beds, and an insufficient number of guards means many activities, such as outdoor walks and exercise, are restricted.

The bill's sponsor, lawmaker Nati Meir, called on inmates to end their protest, which he said was "unhelpful" in making their case for amnesty. "I have warned that the situation is waiting to explode in prisons, which are very, very crowded," Meir said.

Justice Minister Monica Macovei said Sunday the government was working to improve conditions and would build new prisons to relieve overcrowding. She called on prison administrators to continue to allow inmates to watch television and take part in other regular activities despite the protests, and to explain to them legal procedures for adopting legislation in parliament.