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IT proved to be one protest too many … and it has resulted in the unprecedented arrival of troops from neighbouring Gulf countries to help tackle the unrest.
On Sunday Bahraini police clashed with demonstrators trying to occupy
Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at around 350 activists who attempted to seal off the
It followed successful police action on Friday to halt a protest march in Riffa amid fears of sectarian clashes. Pro-government supporters had turned out en masse to block the route to the clock roundabout in readiness of a rally described as ‘provocative’ by some of the less confrontational opposition groups.
Major commercial and sporting events scheduled to take place this month such as the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix have been cancelled.
His Majesty King Hamad had reiterated an offer of dialogue with the main opposition groups, which have refused to negotiate until the government resigned and more dissidents were released from jail.
“I call all parties to meet quickly around the table and be open-minded and well-intentioned to reach a national consensus,” he said in a statement quoted by the BNA state news agency.
His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander, who joined King Hamad in talks on Saturday with visiting US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, had also urged the opposition to negotiate. “I’m hopeful that they will join the dialogue without preconditions. We have given them the best deal they can hope for,” he told reporters.
The deal features a set of proposals tabled for national dialogue which include an elected parliament with full vested powers and prerogatives, a government reflecting the will of people, fairly-demarcated electoral constituencies, naturalisation, combating financial and administrative corruption, state properties, addressing sectarian polarisation and animosity, in addition to other principles and topics.
Gates said he told Bahrain’s leaders – who have promised to create jobs and provide more cheap housing in response to the protests – to quickly adopt far-reaching reforms.
Although the main opposition groups had been pushing for democratic reforms within the existing political system others had grown more radical in recent days.
They displayed their power this week with a new and disruptive strategy – blocking the main highway into the financial district in the capital
Around 200 people were injured in the clashes – both riot police and demonstrators – in the worst day of violence since seven people were killed at the start of unrest in mid-February.
Riot police firing tear gas eventually cleared the barricades from the streets but the incident heralded the latest twist in an unhappy saga which is causing the kingdom untold heartache.
