Bahrainis battle police in anti-government protests

29-09-2012

Around one hundred anti-government protesters threw stones and petrol bombs as riot police tried to disperse them with tear gas and stun grenades in Bahrain on Friday, witnesses said, after an earlier demonstration attended by thousands passed peacefully.

At least two protesters were injured in the clashes, the witnesses said, which took place after a march near the capital Manama, which had been called for by main opposition bloc Al-Wefaq and was authorized by the Bahraini authorities.

Bahrain has been in turmoil since pro-democracy protests erupted in February 2011 which were brutally put down by the rulers and Saudi troops who were called in to assist with the crackdown.

More than 50 people have been killed in the unrest.

International human rights organizations including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have condemned the kingdom for deadly use of force and for its ruthless imprisonment of dissidents.

The small but strategic kingdom is home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet which polices the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and some of the east African coastline including Somalia.

(Reuters, Al-Akhbar)

http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/bahrainis-battle-police-fresh-round-protests

Email this story to a friend | Printable Version