BAHRAIN DEPLOYED anti-riot police yesterday as opposition leaders, inspired by uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, began protests to demand more political freedom and jobs.
Police fired tear gas into a crowd of protesters in the Diraz area as a helicopter hovered overhead. Earlier, residents of the Shia village of Nuweidrat said clashes broke out between activists and police after morning prayers.
Police were present on the outskirts of Nuweidrat, where Shia flags adorned buildings along alleyways.
“We want better jobs and housing,” said Ahmed Yousef. “I am not asking for a big house. I am married with two kids and live with my father.” The 32-year-old said he makes €880 a month and works for an air courier service.
Another protester, Ali Araj (48), said, “Bahrain is supposed to be a constitutional monarchy now. It isn’t. We want our parliament to rule. I am very disappointed with the political process.”
A group called “the Revolution of 14th February in Bahrain” was using Facebook to promote the protests and has more than 13,400 followers on the social-networking website. The date marks the anniversary of the establishment in 2002 of a second constitution, which provided an elected parliament in Bahrain, home to the US navy’s fifth fleet, and made the kingdom a constitutional monarchy.
Bahraini Shias, who represent between 60 and 70 per cent of the population, say they face job and housing discrimination by the government.
In Bahrain, “protests are accepted and sanctioned by the law,” foreign minister Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Khalifa said yesterday in an interview in the capital, Manama, before the rallies began.
“I don’t see any reason for violence from any side. This is something we aren’t seeing as a domino effect. Maybe some people will look at it because it happened in Tunisia, because it happened in Egypt. Let us have one day in Bahrain. To have the same effect, no, it will not.”
King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa ordered an increase in food subsidies and social welfare payments as the government sought to ease the burden of rising food prices, the Bahrain News Agency said almost two weeks ago. He also ordered the payment of €1,970 to each Bahraini family. The Information Affairs Authority began talks on Sunday with the media on a new regulatory framework. – ( Washington Post/Bloomberg)