Skip to content Skip to footer
|

After Day of Clashes, Saudi Arabia Troops Enter Bahrain

Manama

After Day of Clashes, Saudi Arabia Troops Enter Bahrain
(Photo: Yana Trakhtenberg)

Manama, Bahrain – Nearly a month after the first large-scale protests in Bahrain were violently quelled by police, the country has seen a resurgence of protest and calls for the king to step down. After thousands of people protested around the city against the king and his regime Sunday, the island's royal family is expected to invite forces from Saudi Arabia into the country.

Demonstrators flooded into the city's Pearl Roundabout, where they have been camped out since the initial clashes in mid-February. Two-hundred and fifty protesters attempted to set up camp near Manama's financial district and more than 5,000 students clashed with pro-government protesters at Bahrain University on Sunday. An unknown number of people were injured in the protests, but it is unclear how seriously.


Police block the main city road around the Pearl Roundabout.

Police block the main city road around the Pearl Roundabout. (Photo: Yana Trakhtenberg)

The country's monarchy and government is dominated by Sunni Muslims, who are a minority in the country. The Shiite majority, around 70 percent of the kingdom's 525,000 residents, have staged protests in recent years to highlight discrimination, unemployment and corruption and were reported to be a large proportion of the opposition parties leading the protests.


Aeriel views of protesters clashing with police.

Aerial views of protesters clashing with police. (Photo: Yana Trakhtenberg)

In Saudi Arabia, where about 15 percent of the population is Shiite, the discontent is being closely watched.

Unrest continued around the Middle East over the weekend as protests inYemen left four people dead and the US backed a no-fly zone over Libya, which has seen increasingly deadly battles between rebels and pro-government troops. These are part of the large wave of discontent that has swept the Arab world since the presidents of Tunisia and Egypt were ousted by mass protests earlier this year.


Young men pose for a photo.

(Photo: Yana Trakhtenberg)

The Bahraini unrest came a day after Defense Secretary Robert Gatesvisited the island kingdom, which houses the US Fifth Fleet. Gates said that he is “convinced” that Bahrain's royal leaders are “serious about real reform and moving forward.”


Protester camp outside the main square.

Protester camp outside the main square. (Photo: Yana Trakhtenberg)

The Obama administration's press secretary condemned the violence by the Bahraini government Sunday. “We urge the government of Bahrain to pursue a peaceful and meaningful dialogue with the opposition rather than resorting to the use of force,” a statement said. “In particular, we urge our GCC partners to show restraint and respect the rights of the people of Bahrain, and to act in a way that supports dialogue instead of undermining it.”


Protester's camp where people have been sitting for nearly a month.

Protester's camp where people have been sitting for nearly a month. (Photo: Yana Trakhtenberg)

Initially, protesters took to the streets of Manama to demand reforms, including the introduction of a constitutional monarchy, the release of political prisoners and the formation of a new government. But some are now calling for the removal of the royal family that has led the Persian Gulf state since the 18th century.


Banner targeting the royal family.

Banner targeting the royal family. (Photo: Yana Trakhtenberg)

“We just need rights and freedom,” Hani, an engineer who asked that his last name not be used for personal protection, told Truthout.


Women pose for photo.

(Photo: Yana Trakhtenberg)

Hani was among the protesters at the city's Pearl Roundabout. “Here in Bahrain we don't have freedom at all. It's only a show, it's only an image.”


Grafitti calling for the country's king to step down.

Graffiti calling for the country's king to step down. (Photo: Yana Trakhtenberg)

We’re not backing down in the face of Trump’s threats.

As Donald Trump is inaugurated a second time, independent media organizations are faced with urgent mandates: Tell the truth more loudly than ever before. Do that work even as our standard modes of distribution (such as social media platforms) are being manipulated and curtailed by forces of fascist repression and ruthless capitalism. Do that work even as journalism and journalists face targeted attacks, including from the government itself. And do that work in community, never forgetting that we’re not shouting into a faceless void – we’re reaching out to real people amid a life-threatening political climate.

Our task is formidable, and it requires us to ground ourselves in our principles, remind ourselves of our utility, dig in and commit.

As a dizzying number of corporate news organizations – either through need or greed – rush to implement new ways to further monetize their content, and others acquiesce to Trump’s wishes, now is a time for movement media-makers to double down on community-first models.

At Truthout, we are reaffirming our commitments on this front: We won’t run ads or have a paywall because we believe that everyone should have access to information, and that access should exist without barriers and free of distractions from craven corporate interests. We recognize the implications for democracy when information-seekers click a link only to find the article trapped behind a paywall or buried on a page with dozens of invasive ads. The laws of capitalism dictate an unending increase in monetization, and much of the media simply follows those laws. Truthout and many of our peers are dedicating ourselves to following other paths – a commitment which feels vital in a moment when corporations are evermore overtly embedded in government.

Over 80 percent of Truthout‘s funding comes from small individual donations from our community of readers, and the remaining 20 percent comes from a handful of social justice-oriented foundations. Over a third of our total budget is supported by recurring monthly donors, many of whom give because they want to help us keep Truthout barrier-free for everyone.

You can help by giving today. Whether you can make a small monthly donation or a larger gift, Truthout only works with your support.