Bahraini police fired rubber bullets and tear gas on Wednesday at peaceful protesters attempting to hold a demonstration in Manama, which had been forbidden by the regime.
The protesters remained non-violent as they chanted anti-regime slogans and demanded democracy, but the authorities said on Tuesday they were prohibiting the demonstration for security reasons.
The protests came just a few days after King Hamad introduced constitutional reforms that empower the elected parliament, but fall far short of the opposition’s demands for the monarchy to have limited powers instead of the dictatorial status it now has.
Protests have kept apace despite expected attacks from security forces, and the Shi’ite opposition Al-Wefaq is calling for yet another demonstration in a suburb of the capital on Thursday.
U.S. support for Bahrain has remained assertive throughout its violent repression of Arab Spring protesters, allocating another $26 million in aid for 2012 while a $53 million arms deal is waiting in the wings, supposedly conditional on reform. Bahrain is the host of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, which directs operations in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, and Arabian Sea and patrols the Straits of Hormuz, through which 40 percent of the world’s seaborne oil passes.
An independent commission in Bahrain recently found that torture has been systemic since protests broke out last year and 35 peaceful protesters were gunned down and killed by security forces. The commission urged reform, but the United Nations has recently said that Bahrain was failing to prosecute human rights abuses and was continuing its use of excessive force against civilians.
R u kidding me? PEACEFUL PROTESTS?? Those people you are talking about are Hezbollah! Hezbollah are a well know terrorist organization! Dont u dare call them peaceful protesters..! They are ruining our lives here! We are sick and tired of them and sick and tired of the leniency towards them!! Stop it with the propaganda..
For the love of humanity, report the truth..
go kill yourself or blow yourself up in a mosque
The term peaceful protester is used only in the ironic sens in Bahrain. There may be some peaceful protesters but unfortunately, people who live here are terrified of them. They are extremely racist and killed at least 4 South Asians and wounded hundreds in the worst of the unrest. There activities are well documented in the Bahrain independent Commission of Inquiry. I suggest that the author should read the whole report and come to Bahrain to talk to the South Asians living here. Of course, I realise that he is probably completely uninterested in racist attacks when committed by the 'peaceful protesters' of Bahrain.