Security forces in Bahrain have attacked a camp set up by anti-government demonstrators in the capital Manama. The opposition says at least two people have been killed and many people are hurt.
Hundreds of riot police using tear gas and batons moved into Pearl Square before dawn on Thursday where thousands of people had earlier taken part in a third day of rallies, the BBC reports.
About 2000 people stayed overnight in Pearl Square. A member of the secular Waad party says police acted without any warning on Thursday and there is a dense fog of tear gas where hundreds of women and children are camping.
Witnesses say the demonstrators were driven out and ambulances were seen rushing from the square. A journalist with the American Broadcasting Corporation, Miguel Marquez was in Pearl Square when police arrived and was beaten after reporting on events. The protesters in the small island kingdom are calling for democratic reform, the release of political prisoners and an end to what they call civil rights abuses.
Since independence from the United Kingdom in 1971, tensions between the ruling Sunni elite and the Shia majority have frequently caused civil unrest. Shia groups say they are marginalised, subject to unfair laws, and repressed. The protesters are adamant they will achieve the same success as demonstrators in Egypt, where president Hosni Murbarak was forced from power. Protests linked to recent events in Egypt and Tunisia are gaining momentum across the Middle East and North Africa.
About 2000 people stayed overnight in Pearl Square. A member of the secular Waad party says police acted without any warning on Thursday and there is a dense fog of tear gas where hundreds of women and children are camping.
Witnesses say the demonstrators were driven out and ambulances were seen rushing from the square. A journalist with the American Broadcasting Corporation, Miguel Marquez was in Pearl Square when police arrived and was beaten after reporting on events. The protesters in the small island kingdom are calling for democratic reform, the release of political prisoners and an end to what they call civil rights abuses.
Since independence from the United Kingdom in 1971, tensions between the ruling Sunni elite and the Shia majority have frequently caused civil unrest. Shia groups say they are marginalised, subject to unfair laws, and repressed. The protesters are adamant they will achieve the same success as demonstrators in Egypt, where president Hosni Murbarak was forced from power. Protests linked to recent events in Egypt and Tunisia are gaining momentum across the Middle East and North Africa.
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BAHRAIN - The Lulu Massacre .. Videos & Fotos
17.02.2011 11:10
there is currently a massacre taking place in Manama , the capital of Bahrain. Most of you know that Bahrain is currently witnessing huge protests demanding political reforms. The political scene in Bahrain was boiling for long time and the #25Jan revolution came to give a huge force to the Bahraini activists who decided to push the bar against their regime. There were protesters in the past couple of days , two protesters were killed , one of them actually was killed in the funeral of the first protesters. People were extremely angry and the Bahraini protesters decided to have an open sit it at the Manama’s biggest squares : Lulu square or the Pearl square. They spent last night there and today as well.King Hamad as you have heard gave a speech where he expressed his sorrow for the murder of these two protesters and said that there would be an investigation. Just like Al Tahrir , the Lulu square became a tent city for strikes , the protesters demanded political reforms. The latest and most important demand was turning the country in to a constitutional monarchy. Now at 2 AM or 3 AM Manama local time we found the security forces storming the Lulu square , killing not less than 4 including old man and injuring hundreds who were rushed in to the Salmaniya hospital.
Here is a video showing police forces cracking down a peaceful march at the Lulu square.
There are thugs and some are speaking about mercenaries in twitter used against the protesters. There are rumors that there are Saudi and Kuwaiti forces helping the Bahraini forces against their own people. Eye witnesses say that the Bahraini army is currently taking over the square , removing all signs of striking there. Bahrainis are speaking about international forbidden ammunition used , I am not surprised because it was used also in Egypt.
The police is doing house to house search to find young protesters in the area according to tweets online.
We can’t find any official source to confirm or deny , of course based on the Egyptian experience we should not trust official source. Update : I found that the Bahraini ministry of interior's official spokesperson describes the strike at Lulu square on twitter from 8 hours ago as follows :
MOI Official Spokesman: The assembly at Pearl Roundabout is not legal and is causing traffic jams and hurting people's interests
There is a fear that there will be internet blockage any time in the country now.
The more martyrs will fall down by the hands of the regime forces , the bar of the demands will be raised more , the more persistent the people will be. Now it is a constitutional monarchy , tomorrow it can be a republic , do not underestimate the power of the people. This is déjà vu , this is how it started the #Jan25 revolution when the police attacked 1 AM the Tahrir square and the saga went on till it exploded technically on Jan28th.
The attack on foreign reporters has started already , Miguel Marquez of ABC News was beaten with bully clubs by thugs. He was speaking on the phone with his office in NY when they attacked him. Marquez has sentthis shot from blackberry phone to twitter showing police cars lining up at Pearl square from two hours ago
gar
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