Demonstrations Held in Bahrain on Anniversary of February 14 Uprising
Demonstrators took to the streets in the capital Manama as well as the village of Sanabis, which lies in the suburbs of Manama, the northwestern village of Diraz, located about 12 kilometers southeast of the capital, Bilad al-Qadeem suburb of Manama and the village of Tubli, west of the island of Sitra.
They called for the immediate release of the 54-year-old prominent Shia cleric and secretary general of the dissolved al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, Sheikh Ali Salman, and other political prisoners.
They also responded to calls for acts of civil disobedience and, among other things, closed shops and refused to go to work or school, the Manama Post reported.
During the demonstrations, security forces clashed with the participants and tried to disperse them by firing tear gas. They also arrested a number of the demonstrator’s.
Since 2011, Bahraini people have been holding peaceful protest rallies on an almost daily basis, demanding that the Al Khalifa family relinquish power and let a just system representing all Bahrainis be established.
Bahrainis have also been complaining against widespread discrimination against the Shia majority in the kingdom.
Manama has responded to the protests with lethal force, drawing international criticism. In March 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were also deployed to assist Bahrain in its crackdown.
