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The Day of Rage ( ar, يوم الغضب, translit=Yawm al-Ghaḍab) is the name given by protesters in
Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
to 14 February 2011, the first day of the national uprising as part of the
Arab Spring The Arab Spring ( ar, الربيع العربي) was a series of Nonviolent resistance, anti-government protests, Rebellion, uprisings and Insurgency, armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began in T ...
. Inspired by successful uprisings in Egypt and in Tunisia, Bahraini youth organised protests using social-media websites. They appealed to the Bahraini people "to take to the streets on Monday 14 February in a peaceful and orderly manner". The day had a symbolic value, being the ninth and tenth anniversaries of the country's 2002 constitution and the National Action Charter respectively. Some opposition parties supported the protests' plans, while others did not explicitly call for demonstration. However, they demanded deep reforms and changes similar to those by the youth. Before the start of protests, the
cabinet of Bahrain The Cabinet of Bahrain is the chief executive body of the Kingdom of Bahrain. According to Article 32 (b) of the 2002 Constitution, "executive authority is vested in the King together with the Council of Ministers and Ministers". The Council of M ...
had introduced a number of economic and political concessions. The protests started with a
sit-in A sit-in or sit-down is a form of direct action that involves one or more people occupying an area for a protest, often to promote political, social, or economic change. The protestors gather conspicuously in a space or building, refusing to mo ...
in solidarity with the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 in the vicinity of the Egyptian embassy in the capital
Manama Manama ( ar, المنامة ', Bahrani Arabic, Bahrani pronunciation: ) is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 200,000 people as of 2020. Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is h ...
ten days before the Day of Rage. On the eve of 14 February, security forces dispersed hundreds of protesters south of Manama. On 14 February, thousands of Bahrainis participated in 55 marches in 25 locations throughout Bahrain. Protests were peaceful and protesters demanded deep reforms. The earliest demonstration started at 5:30 a.m. in
Nuwaidrat Nuwaidrat (Arabic: النويدرات) is a village located in Bahrain, close to Sitra; it was formerly part of the Sitra Municipality. History 1990s uprising During the 1990s Bahraini uprising, a policeman named Ibrahim al-Saeedi was killed in E ...
, and the last took place just minutes before midnight in the vicinity of Salmaniya Medical Complex heading to the
Pearl Roundabout The GCC Roundabout, known as Pearl Roundabout or Lulu Roundabout (Arabic language, Arabic: ', "Roundabout of the pearl(s)" was a roundabout located near the Central business district, financial district of Manama, Bahrain. The roundabout was nam ...
. The largest was on the island of Sitra. Security forces responded to protests by firing
tear gas Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ad ...
, rubber bullets, stun grenades and birdshot. More than 30 protesters were injured and one was killed by birdshot. The Bahraini Ministry of Interior said a number of security forces were injured after groups of protesters attacked them.


Background

Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
is a tiny island in the
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
that hosts the United States Naval Support Activity Bahrain, the home of the
US Fifth Fleet The Fifth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It has been responsible for naval forces in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean since 1995 after a 48-year hiatus. It shares a commander and headq ...
; the
US Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secu ...
considers the location critical for its ability to counter Iranian military power in the region. The
Saudi Arabian government The politics of Saudi Arabia takes place in the context of a unitary absolute monarchy along Islamic lines, where the King is both the head of state and government. Decisions are, to a large extent, made on the basis of consultation among the Ki ...
and other
Gulf region The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The body ...
governments strongly support the King of Bahrain. Although government officials and media often accuse the opposition of being influenced by Iran, a government-appointed commission found no evidence supporting the claim. Iran has historically claimed Bahrain as a province, but the claim was dropped after a UN 1970 survey found that most Bahraini people preferred independence over Iranian control.


Modern political history

Bahrainis have protested sporadically throughout the last decades demanding social, economic and political reforms. In the 1950s, following sectarian clashes, the
National Union Committee The National Union Committee ( ar, هيئة الاتحاد الوطني) was a nationalist reformist political organization formed in Bahrain in 1954 (originally named the ''Higher Executive Committee'', ar, الهيئة التنفيذية الع ...
was formed by reformists; it demanded an elected popular assembly and carried out protests and general strikes. In 1965 a month-long
uprising Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
broke out after hundreds of workers at Bahrain Petroleum Company were laid off. Bahrain became independent from Britain in 1971 and the country had its first parliamentary election in 1973. Two years later, the government proposed a law called the " State Security Law" giving police wide arresting powers and allowing individuals to be held in prison without trial for up to three years. The assembly rejected the law, prompting the late Amir to dissolve it and suspend the constitution. It was not until 2002 that Bahrain held any parliamentary elections, after protests and violence between 1994 and 2001.


Economy

Despite its oil-rich Gulf neighbors, Bahrain's oil, discovered in 1932, has "virtually dried up" making it poorer than other countries in its region. In recent decades, Bahrain has moved towards banking and tourism making it one of the most important financial hubs in the region; it has since held some of the top international rankings in economic freedom and business-friendly countries, making it the
freest economy The ''Index of Economic Freedom'' is an annual index and ranking created in 1995 by The Heritage Foundation and ''The Wall Street Journal'' to measure the degree of economic freedom in the world's nations. The creators of the index claim to tak ...
in the Middle East. However, Bahrainis suffer from relative poverty. Semi-official studies found that the poverty threshold (the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a given country.) in the country in 1995 was . The
Bahrain Centre for Human Rights The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR; ar, مركز البحرين لحقوق الإنسان) was a Bahraini non-profit non-governmental organisation which works to promote human rights in Bahrain,
said that by 2007 it had increased to at least, putting half of Bahrainis under the poverty line. In 2008, the government rejected the UN's conclusion that 2% of Bahrainis lived in "slum-like conditions". Poor families receive monthly financial support. In 2007,
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...
produced a documentary titled ''"Poverty in Bahrain"'', which was criticized by pro-government newspaper, '' Gulf Daily News''.
Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...
produced a similar documentary in 2010. The unemployment rate in Bahrain is among the highest in GCC countries. Sources close to the government estimated it between 3.7% and 5.4%, while other sources said it was as high as 15%. Unemployed was especially widespread among youth and the Shia community. Bahrain also suffers from a "housing problem" with the number of housing applications reaching about 53,000 in 2010. These conditions prompted the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights to consider housing one of the most important problems in Bahrain.


Human rights

Human rights in Bahrain improved after the government introduced reform plans in 1999–2002 but declined again in subsequent years. Between 2007 and 2011 Bahrain's international rankings fell 21 places from number 123 to 144 on the Democracy Index, as ranked by the
Economist Intelligence Unit The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) is the research and analysis division of the Economist Group, providing forecasting and advisory services through research and analysis, such as monthly country reports, five-year country economic forecasts, ...
. The Freedom in the World index on political freedom classified Bahrain as "Not Free" in 2010–2011. A
Freedom House Freedom House is a non-profit, majority U.S. government funded organization in Washington, D.C., that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights. Freedom House was founded in October 1941, and Wendell Wil ...
"Freedom on the Net" survey classified "Net status" as "Not free" and noted that more than 1,000 websites were blocked in Bahrain. The Press Freedom Index (by
Reporters Without Borders Reporters Without Borders (RWB; french: Reporters sans frontières; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its advocacy as found ...
) declined significantly: in 2002 Bahrain was ranked number 67 and by 2010 it had fallen to number 144. The Freedom of the Press report (by Freedom House) classified Bahrain in 2011 as "Not Free".
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
has described Bahrain's record on
human rights Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...
as "dismal", and having "deteriorated sharply in the latter half of 2010".


Torture

During the period between 1975 and 1999 known as the " State Security Law Era", the Bahraini government frequently used torture, which resulted in a number of deaths. After the Emir Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa succeeded his father
Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (; 3 June 1931 – 6 March 1999) was the first emir of Bahrain from 1961 until his death in 1999. Born in Jasra, Bahrain, he became emir upon the death of his father, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Early life and reign ...
in 1999, reports of torture declined dramatically and conditions of detention improved.US Department of State
Bahrain Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 2001
an
Working group on arbitrary detention
para 90.
However Royal Decree 56 of 2002 gave effective immunity to all those accused of torture during the uprising in the 1990s and before (including notorious figures such as
Ian Henderson Ian Henderson may refer to: *Ian Henderson (footballer) (born 1985), English footballer for Rochdale * Ian Henderson (musician), New Zealand drummer *Ian Henderson (news presenter) (born 1952), Australian news presenter *Ian Henderson (police office ...
and Adel Flaifel.). Towards the end of 2007 the government began employing torture again and by 2010 its use had become common again."Torture Redux: The Revival of Physical Coercion during Interrogations in Bahrain"
Human Rights Watch. 8 February 2010. . Retrieved 19 June 2011.


Shia grievances

The Shia majority ruled by the Sunni Al khalifa family since the eighteenth century have long complained of what they call systemic discrimination."Bahrain opposition calls for rally"
Al Jazeera English. 13 February 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
They are blocked from serving in important political and military posts and the government has reportedly naturalized Sunnis originally from
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
and
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
in what Shia say is an attempt to increase the percentage of Sunnis in the population. According to
Khalil al-Marzooq Khalil al-Marzooq is a Bahraini Shi'a politician and former member of the Council of Representatives. During his time in office, he served as first deputy chairman. On February 14, 2011, al-Marzooq and 17 other MPs from Al Wefaq, the main Shi'a I ...
of
Al Wefaq Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society ( ar, جمعية الوفاق الوطني الإسلامية; ), sometimes shortened to simply Al-Wefaq, was a Shi'a Bahraini political party, that operates clandestinely after being ordered by the highest co ...
, the number of those granted Bahraini nationality between 2001 and 2008 is 68 thousand. According to al-Marzooq, this number was calculated using official estimates by subtracting the population in 2001 (405,000) and natural increase (65,000) from the population in 2008 (537,000). In a rally against "political naturalization", Sunni opposition activist
Ibrahim Sharif Ibrahim Sharif al-Sayed ( ar, ابراهيم شريف السيد) is an opposition political activist in Bahrain, currently serving as the General Secretary of the secular socialist National Democratic Action Society (Wa'ad). Shia grievances were exacerbated when in 2006
Salah Al Bandar Dr Salah Al Bander (also ''Al Bandar'', born 1955) is a British citizen of Sudanese origin known for his role in revealing the Bandargate scandal in Bahrain. Al Bander had been working as a strategic planning adviser to the Royal Court of Bahra ...
, then an adviser to the Cabinet Affairs Ministry, revealed an alleged
political conspiracy This is a list of political conspiracies. In a political context, a conspiracy refers to a group of people united in the goal of damaging, usurping, or overthrowing an established political power. Typically, the final goal is to gain power throug ...
aiming to disenfranchise and marginalize Shias, who comprise about 60% of the population.


2010 crackdown

In August 2010, authorities launched a two-month-long crackdown, referred to as the
Manama incident The Manama incident on August 26, 2010 involved the arrest in the Seef shopping mall in Manama, Bahrain, of Fakhria al-Singace, the sister of Dr Abdul Jalil Al-Singace, human-rights spokesperson for the Bahrain opposition Haq Movement. According ...
, arresting hundreds of opposition activists, most of whom were members of the Shia organizations
Haq Movement The Haq Movement for Liberty and Democracy ( ar, حركة حق حركة الحريات والديمقراطية) is an opposition political organization in Bahrain founded in November 2005 with Hasan Mushaima as its secretary general. Several of ...
and Al Wafa' Islamic party, in addition to human rights activists. The arrestees were accused of forming a "terrorist network" aiming to overthrow the government. However, a month later
Al Wefaq Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society ( ar, جمعية الوفاق الوطني الإسلامية; ), sometimes shortened to simply Al-Wefaq, was a Shi'a Bahraini political party, that operates clandestinely after being ordered by the highest co ...
opposition party, which was not targeted by the crackdown, won a plurality in the parliamentary election.


Calls for a revolution

Inspired by the successful uprisings in
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
and
Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...
,"Bahrain activists in 'Day of Rage'"
Al Jazeera English. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
opposition activists began in January to post on a large scale to the social media websites
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
and
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
and online forums, and to send e-mails and text messages with calls to stage major pro-democracy protests."Calls for weekend protests in Syria"
Al Jazeera English Al Jazeera English (AJE; ar, الجزيرة‎, translit=al-jazīrah, , literally "The Peninsula", referring to the Qatar Peninsula) is an international 24-hour English-language news channel owned by the Al Jazeera Media Network, which is own ...
. 4 February 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
The Bahraini government blocked a Facebook page which had 14,000 "likes" calling for a revolution and a "day of rage" on 14 February; however the "likes" had risen to 22,000 few days later. Another online group called " The Youth of the February 14th Revolution" described itself as "unaffiliated with any political movement or organisation" and rejected any "religious, sectarian or ideological bases" for their demands. They issued a statement listing a number of demands and steps it said were unavoidable in order to achieve "change and radical reforms". Bahraini youths described their plans as an appeal for Bahrainis "to take to the streets on Monday 14 February in a peaceful and orderly manner in order to rewrite the constitution and to establish a body with a full popular mandate to investigate and hold to account economic, political and social violations, including stolen public wealth, political naturalisation, arrests, torture and other oppressive security measures, '' nd' institutional and economic corruption."Stephen Zunes (2 March 2011)
"America Blows It on Bahrain"
Foreign Policy In Focus Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * Unit ...
. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
One of the main demands was resignation of the king's uncle, Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa from his post as prime minister. He had been the unelected prime minister of Bahrain since 1971, making him the world's longest serving prime minister. The day had a symbolic value; it was the tenth anniversary of a referendum in favor of the National Action Charter which had promised to introduce democratic reforms following the 1990s uprising. It was also the ninth anniversary of the Constitution of 2002, which had made opposition feel "betrayed" by the king. The Constitution had brought some promised reforms, such as an elected parliament; however opposition activists said it went back on reform plans, giving the king the power to appoint half the parliamentary seats and withholding power from parliament to elect the prime minister. Unregistered opposition parties such as Haq Movement and
Bahrain Freedom Movement The Bahrain Freedom Movement ( ar, حركة أحرار البحرين الإسلامية, Harakat Ahrar al-Bahrayn) is a London-based Bahraini opposition group which has its headquarters in a north London mosque. Its main medium is the Voice of B ...
supported the plans. The
National Democratic Action Society The National Democratic Labour Action Society – Wa'ad ( ar, جمعية العمل الوطني الديمقراطي – وعد) is Bahrain's largest leftist political party. History and profile It emerged from the Popular Front, a "radical" c ...
only announced a day before the protests that it supported "the principle of the right of the youth to demonstrate peacefully". Other opposition groups including
Al Wefaq Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society ( ar, جمعية الوفاق الوطني الإسلامية; ), sometimes shortened to simply Al-Wefaq, was a Shi'a Bahraini political party, that operates clandestinely after being ordered by the highest co ...
, Bahrain's main opposition party, did not explicitly call for or support protests; however Al Wefaq leader Ali Salman did demand political reforms.


Events leading to the protests

A few weeks before the protests, the
Cabinet of Bahrain The Cabinet of Bahrain is the chief executive body of the Kingdom of Bahrain. According to Article 32 (b) of the 2002 Constitution, "executive authority is vested in the King together with the Council of Ministers and Ministers". The Council of M ...
made a number of concessions, including increasing social spending and offering to free some of the minors arrested in the Manama incident in August."Bahrain doles out money to families"
Al Jazeera English. 12 February 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
On 4 February, several hundred Bahrainis gathered in front of the Egyptian embassy in
Manama Manama ( ar, المنامة ', Bahrani Arabic, Bahrani pronunciation: ) is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 200,000 people as of 2020. Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is h ...
to express support for anti-government protesters there. According to ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'', this was "one of the first such gatherings to be held in the oil-rich Persian Gulf states." At the gathering,
Ibrahim Sharif Ibrahim Sharif al-Sayed ( ar, ابراهيم شريف السيد) is an opposition political activist in Bahrain, currently serving as the General Secretary of the secular socialist National Democratic Action Society (Wa'ad). On 11 February, hundreds of Bahrainis and Egyptians took to the streets near the Egyptian embassy in Manama to celebrate the fall of Egypt's president
Hosni Mubarak Muhammad Hosni El Sayed Mubarak, (; 4 May 1928 – 25 February 2020) was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the fourth president of Egypt from 1981 to 2011. Before he entered politics, Mubarak was a career officer in t ...
following the successful
Egyptian Revolution of 2011 The 2011 Egyptian revolution, also known as the 25 January revolution ( ar, ثورة ٢٥ يناير; ), began on 25 January 2011 and spread across Egypt. The date was set by various youth groups to coincide with the annual Egyptian "Police ho ...
. Security forces reacted swiftly to contain the crowd by setting a number of roadblocks. In the Khutbah preceding
Friday prayer In Islam, Friday prayer or Congregational prayer ( ar, صَلَاة ٱلْجُمُعَة, ') is a prayer ('' ṣalāt'') that Muslims hold every Friday, after noon instead of the Zuhr prayer. Muslims ordinarily pray five times each day according ...
, Shiekh
Isa Qassim Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Ahmed Qassim (Arabic: آية الله الشيخ عيسى أحمد قاسم) is Bahrain's leading Shia cleric and a politician. He is the spiritual leader of Al Wefaq, Bahrain's biggest opposition society. He is the fou ...
, a leading Shia cleric, said "the winds of change in the Arab world reunstoppable". He demanded an end to torture and discrimination, the release of political activists and a rewriting of the constitution. Appearing on the
state media State media or government media are media outlets that are under financial and/or editorial control of the state or government, directly or indirectly. There are different types of state and government media. State-controlled or state-run media a ...
, king Hamad announced that each family would be given 1,000 Bahraini Dinars ($2,650) to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the National Action Charter referendum.
Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse (AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency. AFP has regional headquarters in Nicosia, Montevideo, Hong Kong and Washington, D.C ...
linked payments to the 14 February demonstration plans. The next day, the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights sent an open letter to the king urging him to avoid a "worst-case scenario" by introducing a wide range of reforms, including "releasing more than 450 detainees including ahrainihuman rights defenders, religious figures and more than 110 children, dissolv ngthe security apparatus and prosecut ngits official responsible orviolations". At night, residents of Jidhafs held a public dinner banquet to celebrate the fall of Egypt's president. On 13 February, authorities set up a number of checkpoints and increased the presence of security forces in key locations such as shopping malls. ''
Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...
'' interpreted the move as "a clear warning against holding Monday's
4 February Events Pre–1600 * 211 – Following the death of the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus at Eboracum (modern York, England) while preparing to lead a campaign against the Caledonians, the empire is left in the control of his two quarrelling ...
rally". At night, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets on a small group of youth who organized a protest in Karzakan after a wedding ceremony. According to a photographer working for the ''
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
'', several people were injured and others suffered from the effects of tear gas. Bahrain's Ministry of Interior said that about 100 individuals who gathered in an unauthorized rally in the village attacked security forces injuring three policemen and in response police fired two rubber bullets, one of which rebounded from the ground, injuring a protester."«الداخلية»: مسيرة غير مرخصة بكرزكان وإصابة أحد المواطنين"
''Al Wasat''. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
Small protests and clashes occurred in other locations as well, such as Sabah Al Salem, Sitra,
Bani Jamra Bani Jamra ( ar, بني جمرة) is a village in the north-west of Bahrain. It lies west of the capital Manama, east of the coastal village of Budaiya. It is administered under the Northern Governorate. Before the discovery of oil in Bahrain, m ...
and Tashan, leading to minor injuries among both protesters and security forces.


14 February

Over 6,000 people participated in 55 demonstrations and political rallies in 25 different locations throughout Bahrain. Helicopters hovered over areas where marches were due to take place and the presence of security forces was heavy in a number of key locations such as the
Central Business District A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
, shopping malls and
Bab Al Bahrain Bab Al Bahrain ( ar, باب البحرين, translitered ''Bāb al-Baḥrayn'' meaning ''Gateway of Bahrain'') is a historical building located in the Customs Square in the central business district of Manama. It marks the main entrance to the ...
. The traffic directorate closed a number of roads such as those leading to
Pearl Roundabout The GCC Roundabout, known as Pearl Roundabout or Lulu Roundabout (Arabic language, Arabic: ', "Roundabout of the pearl(s)" was a roundabout located near the Central business district, financial district of Manama, Bahrain. The roundabout was nam ...
, Dana mall, Al Daih and parts of Budaiya highway in order to anticipate any non-permitted protests. Throughout the day and especially in the evening, Internet speed was much slower than usual. According to Bikya Masr blog, "many people" linked this to government attempts to contain the protests. The demonstrators demanded the release of detained protesters, socio-economic and political reforms and constitutional monarchy. Protesters sought no permits, although it is required by Bahraini law. The Bahraini newspaper '' Al Wasat'' reported that protests were peaceful and that demonstrators did not throw stones at security forces or burn tires in streets as they used to in the previous protests. The earliest demonstration was recorded at 05:30 in the mainly Shia village of
Nuwaidrat Nuwaidrat (Arabic: النويدرات) is a village located in Bahrain, close to Sitra; it was formerly part of the Sitra Municipality. History 1990s uprising During the 1990s Bahraini uprising, a policeman named Ibrahim al-Saeedi was killed in E ...
, where 300 people are said to have participated. The rally was led by Shia political activist Abdulwahhab Hussain. Police dispersed this rally, resulting in some injuries, and the hospitalization of one demonstrator. Police continued to disperse rallies throughout the day with tear gas, rubber bullets, and shotguns, causing additional injuries, and hospitalizing three more demonstrators. One major demonstration took place in the Shi'a island of Sitra, where several thousand men, women, and children took to the streets. According to witnesses interviewed by Physicians for Human Rights, hundreds of fully armed riot police arrived on the scene and immediately began firing tear gas and sound grenades into the crowds. They then fired rubber bullets into the unarmed crowd, aiming at people in the front line who had sat down in the street in protest. In Sanabis, security forces fled the location after protesters approached them, leaving one of their vehicles behind. Protesters attached the flag of Bahrain to the vehicle instead of damaging or burning it. In Sehla, hundreds held
maghrib prayer The Maghrib Prayer ( ar, صلاة المغرب ', "sunset prayer") is one of the five mandatory salah (Islamic prayer). As an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Maghrib prayer is technically the first prayer of the day. If counted from midn ...
in the streets after staging a march. In Bilad Al Qadeem, protesters held a sit-in at afternoon and started marching at evening, after which security forces intervened to disperse them. In Karzakan, protesters staged a march that was joined by another march starting in
Dumistan Dumistan (Arabic: دمستان) and (Persian: دمستان) is a coastal village situated on the western shore of Bahrain. It is situated to the north of Karzakan and west of Hamad Town, in the Northern Governorate The Northern Governorat ...
and ended peacefully. In
Duraz Diraz,( ar, الدراز, also spelled Duraz) is the biggest and most populated village on the northwest coast of Bahrain. It lies to the east of Budaiya, west of Barbar and north of Bani Jamra. Two Dilmun era archaeological sites, namely Diraz ...
security forces fired tear gas on 100 protesters, breaking up their rally. On its Twitter account, the Ministry of Interior said that six masked individuals participating in a march in Jidhafs attacked security forces. They wrote that police responded, injuring the legs and back of one of the attackers.


Casualties

In the evening of 14 February, Ali Mushaima died from police shotgun wounds to his back at close range. The government says that Ali was part of a group of 800 protesters that attacked eight policemen with rocks and metal rods. The government asserts that the police exhausted their supply of tear gas and rubber bullets in a failed attempt to disperse the crowd, and resorted to the use of shotguns. Witnesses say that there were no demonstrations at the time Ali was shot. They say Ali was seen walking with a group of officers who were pointing their guns at him. As Ali walked away, he was shot in the back by one of the officers. The Ministry of Interior expressed its regret at the incident and announced that the death would be investigated. Later, several hundred demonstrators congregated in the car park of the hospital where Ali was taken. They staged a protest outside the hospital heading to the Pearl Roundabout; meanwhile another march was heading to the same location from King Faisal Highway. Security forces intervened, injuring some protesters and arresting 24. By the end of the day, more than 30 protesters had been injured, mostly by birdshot and rubber bullets."قتيل وأكثر من 30 مصاباً في مسيرات احتجاجية أمس"
''Al Wasat''. 15 February 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2012.


Aftermath

The following day another man, Fadhel Al-Matrook, was killed by police during the funeral of Mushaima. Protesters then marched and occupied the
Pearl Roundabout The GCC Roundabout, known as Pearl Roundabout or Lulu Roundabout (Arabic language, Arabic: ', "Roundabout of the pearl(s)" was a roundabout located near the Central business district, financial district of Manama, Bahrain. The roundabout was nam ...
without police interference. Thousands continued camping at the site for another day. On 17 February, in what became known as Bloody Thursday, authorities launched a pre-dawn raid and cleared the site, killing four protesters and injuring hundreds. Protesters took refuge in Salmaniya Medical Complex where many of them demanded the fall of the regime. Defying the government ban on gatherings, on the evening of 18 February, hundreds of protesters marched toward the Pearl Roundabout, now under the control of the army. Michael Slackman and Nadim Audi (18 February 2011)
"Security Forces in Bahrain Open Fire on Protesters"
''New York Times''. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
When protesters neared the site, the army opened fire, killing Abdulredha Buhmaid and injuring dozens of others. Troops withdrew from the Pearl Roundabout on 19 February, and protesters reestablished their camps there. The crown prince assured protesters that they would be allowed to camp at the roundabout and that he would lead a national dialogue. Protests involving up to one-fifth of the population continued over the next month until the government called in Gulf Cooperation Council
troops A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Troop Ro ...
and police and declared a three-month
state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
. Despite the police crackdown that followed,Law, Bill (6 April 2011)
"Police Brutality Turns Bahrain Into 'Island of Fear'
''
Crossing Continents ''Crossing Continents'' is a half-hour BBC Radio 4 documentary strand focusing on foreign affairs issues. It takes listeners right to the heart of story through its on-location reporting and feature making. The programmes are character driven an ...
'' (via BBC News). Retrieved 15 April 2011.
smaller-scale protests and clashes continued, mostly outside Manama's business districts. By April 2012, more than 80 people had died during the uprising.Gregg Carlstrom (23 April 2012)
"Bahrain court delays ruling in activists case"
Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
As of December 2012, protests are ongoing.


Death of Fadhel Al-Matrook

Fadhel Salman Ali Salman Al-Matrook ( ar, فاضل سلمان علي سلمان المتروك) (8 November 1979 – 15 February 2011) was a 31-year-old
Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
i who died in hospital on 15 February 2011 after reportedly being hit in the back and chest by bird pellet gunshots (a type of shotgun shell) fired from short distance by Bahraini security forces during the Bahraini uprising of 2011. Bahrain king Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa announced in a rare televised speech that the deaths of Ali Abdulhadi Mushaima and Fadhel Al-Matrook would be investigated. However, results of the investigation have not been revealed as of November 2011. As part of a string of protests that occurred across the Arab World following the self-immolation and eventual death of Mohammed Bouazizi in
Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...
, the mostly
Shia Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
population of Bahrain took to the streets demanding greater freedoms.
Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...
reported that a protest was planned for 14 February, just a few months after the controversial 2010 election. On 14 February (referred to by protesters as Day of Rage), clashes were reported from parts of Bahrain. Helicopters circled over
Manama Manama ( ar, المنامة ', Bahrani Arabic, Bahrani pronunciation: ) is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 200,000 people as of 2020. Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is h ...
, where protesters were expected to gather in the afternoon; there was also a greater police presence in Shia villages. At least fourteen people were injured in clashes overnight and with police having fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters in the village of
Nuwaidrat Nuwaidrat (Arabic: النويدرات) is a village located in Bahrain, close to Sitra; it was formerly part of the Sitra Municipality. History 1990s uprising During the 1990s Bahraini uprising, a policeman named Ibrahim al-Saeedi was killed in E ...
, south west of Bahrain. The marchers were calling for the release detainees who were arrested during earlier protests. Al-Matrook's father died when he was 8. He was married with two children, a 5-year-old son, Hussain and a 2-year-old daughter, Ruqayya. He was unemployed and had been arrested once before, his brother reported. Al-Matrook lived in his father's house; his housing request goes back seven years before his death. On 15 February,
funeral procession A funeral procession is a procession, usually in motor vehicles or by foot, from a funeral home or place of worship to the cemetery or crematorium. In earlier times the deceased was typically carried by male family members on a bier or in a cof ...
of Ali Abdulhadi Mushaima, who died the previous day took place. The march was authorized. It was organized that the body be taken from the Salmaniya medical complex and then carried to the cemetery in Al Daih for burial. According to eyewitnesses, more than 2,000 were starting to gather by the hospital gates in order to take part in the procession, when riot police used tear gas and shotguns to disperse the crowd. One man, Fadhel Al-Matrook, died in hospital after getting shot by shotgun pellets. Al-Matrook's brother, who was near him, told the local newspaper '' Al Wasat'' that his brother was shot from a very short distance, 2 to 5 meters away, which caused internal bleeding and punctured his lungs. According to witnesses, at least 25 were injured as a result of police rubber bullets, tear gas and shotgun. An eyewitness who was injured called Shaker Mohammed Abdulhussain told '' Al Wasat'' that police cars were parked near Salmaniya Medical Complex gates where the funeral was supposed to move out from. To prevent clashes between mourners and riot police, mourners formed a human chain in which Shaker was standing next to Al-Matrook. There were two people speaking to riot police telling them that the youth will ensure that nothing would go wrong. Then a man wearing full black came from outside the funeral and threw a stone at riot police, who then started firing rubber bullets and bird pellet gunshot indiscriminately. While Shaker and Al-Matrook were trying to help a man who was injured by rubber bullets to his leg, they were shot with bird pellet gunshot. Shaker was injured in his chest and other parts in the body, while Al-Matrook was injured in his back and died in the hospital. The Ministry of the Interior said in a statement that during the funeral of Ali Mushaima some mourners clashed with four police patrols which were parked in the funeral's course. They explained that clashes were because one patrol was not working and three patrols went to evacuate it. During the clash one man named Fadhel Al-Martook was injured and died later in a hospital. On February 16, thousands of Bahrainis took part in the
funeral procession A funeral procession is a procession, usually in motor vehicles or by foot, from a funeral home or place of worship to the cemetery or crematorium. In earlier times the deceased was typically carried by male family members on a bier or in a cof ...
of Al-Matrook while others were camping in
Pearl Roundabout The GCC Roundabout, known as Pearl Roundabout or Lulu Roundabout (Arabic language, Arabic: ', "Roundabout of the pearl(s)" was a roundabout located near the Central business district, financial district of Manama, Bahrain. The roundabout was nam ...
for the second day in a row. The funeral began in
Salmaniya Salmaniya is a neighborhood of Manama, Bahrain that houses the largest hospital in Bahrain, Salmaniya Medical Complex, and the Psychiatric Hospital (Bahrain). Also, other private hospitals operate within the vicinity such as the Royal Bahrain Hospi ...
medical complex and ended in Mahooz graveyard. Al-Matrook's coffin was covered with Bahrain's flag. The funeral began at 8:30 am, and mourners that took part carried pictures for Al-Matrook, Bahrain flags, and black flags which represent grief. They chanted "No god but
Allah Allah (; ar, الله, translit=Allāh, ) is the common Arabic word for God. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from '' al- ilāh'', which means "the god", an ...
, the martyr is loved by Allah" and "No
Sunni Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
, No
Shia Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
, all of us are one united Bahrain". The final funeral procession for Al-Matrook was on February 18, which took part in Mahooz and ended in Mahooz graveyard. Mourners carried Bahrain flags as well as black flags. They chanted "we scarify our blood and soul for you martyr" and "we scarify our blood and soul for you Bahrain". One of the mourners carried flowers. Sheikh Mohammed Al-Mansi gave a speech at the end of the funeral procession. * In a rare national TV address on Tuesday, February 15, King Hamad expressed his regret about the victims of recent events and announced an investigation. He expressed regret about the deaths of Ali Mushaima and Fadhel Al-Matrook "There have sadly been two deaths. I express my deep condolences to their families," he said. "Everyone should know that I have assigned Deputy Prime Minister Jawad al-Urayyid to form a special committee to find out the reasons that led to such regrettable events," he added. * Prime minister,
Khalifa ibn Salman Al Khalifa Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa ( ar, خليفة بن سلمان آل خليفة) (24 November 1935 – 11 November 2020) was a Bahraini royal and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Bahrain from 10 January 1970 until his death in 20 ...
praised the king's speech. "We regret the events which led to the death of two of my sons and express condolences to their families". * Minister of Interior, Rashed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa said in a televised speech on February 15, that they are reserving on those responsible for the death of Ali Abdulhadi Mushaima and Fadhel Al-Matrook and that initial investigations began. As well as full cooperation with the committee formed by Bahrain's king. *
Al Wefaq Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society ( ar, جمعية الوفاق الوطني الإسلامية; ), sometimes shortened to simply Al-Wefaq, was a Shi'a Bahraini political party, that operates clandestinely after being ordered by the highest co ...
, the country's biggest opposition party suspended their participation in the
Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
and threatened to resign, in protest at the brutal practices of the security forces, according to
Matar Matar Matar Ebrahim Ali Matar (also spelled Mattar Mattar; ar, مطر إبراهيم علي مطر; born 3 May 1976) is a Bahraini politician of the Al Wefaq party who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from October 2010 until his resignation in e ...
, Al Wefaq's MP (now former MP). * The Independent block, the second largest in the parliament praised the king's speech and supported his decision to form an investigation committee. They also expressed condolences to families of victims. *
Nationalist Democratic Rally Society The Nationalist Democratic Assembly (, ) is a political party in Bahrain. It is the Bahraini regional branch of the Iraqi-led Ba'ath Party. The party is led by Secretary General Hassan Ali and Deputy Secretary General Mahmoud Kassab. It was esta ...
called for an open dialogue between the regime and civil society foundations. They emphasized their refusal and condemnation to the "brutal and repressive" methods that protests are dealt with by riot police which led to the death of 2 martyrs. They also expressed condolences to the families of the martyrs and victims. * Progressive Democratic Tribune denounced the use of excessive force by security forces and called to respect the rights of people to protest. They expressed condolences to families of martyrs Ali Mushaima and Fadhel Al-Matrook who joined the martyrs convoy of our people in their journey to democracy. They Called for the formation of a national body which unites
Shia Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
and Sunna like the
National Union Committee The National Union Committee ( ar, هيئة الاتحاد الوطني) was a nationalist reformist political organization formed in Bahrain in 1954 (originally named the ''Higher Executive Committee'', ar, الهيئة التنفيذية الع ...
in the 1950s. * Islamic Association party, a relatively small
Shia Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
society expressed condolences to citizens of Bahrain and the families of the victims. They said "At the same time that we emphasize our refusal to the excessive use of force against protesters, we stress the importance of keeping the peacefulness of the protests". and "we appeal to the committee formed by Bahrain's king to make a neutral and honest investigation and to accelerate publishing the results as well as punishing those responsible". *
P.J. Crowley Philip J. "P.J." Crowley (born July 28, 1951) is the former United States Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, having been sworn into office on May 26, 2009. He resigned on March 13, 2011, following comments he made about the treatmen ...
, the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
State Department spokesman said: "The United States is very concerned by recent violence surrounding protests in Bahrain,". He added that US welcomed the investigation into the killings and urged the government of Bahrain to "quickly follow up on its pledge." *
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
called the authorities "to immediately stop using excessive force against the protesters", "to set up an immediate, thorough and independent investigation into the deaths of ‘Ali ‘Abdulhadi Mushaima’ and Fadhel ‘Ali Matrook, and ensure that any police found to have used excessive force are brought to justice." and " to respect and protect the right of freedom expression, movement and assembly in Bahrain".


Local and international reactions

In a rare national TV address on Tuesday, February 15, King Hamad expressed regret, offered his "deep condolences" to the families of those killed and announced a ministerial probe into the events. He also promised reforms including a reduction in government restrictions of the Internet and other media. In reference to the
Egyptian Revolution of 2011 The 2011 Egyptian revolution, also known as the 25 January revolution ( ar, ثورة ٢٥ يناير; ), began on 25 January 2011 and spread across Egypt. The date was set by various youth groups to coincide with the annual Egyptian "Police ho ...
, Hussain al-Rumeihy, a member of Parliament, said on 15 February it was wrong for protesters to copy the events of other Arab countries, because the situation in Bahrain is different. The following day, Prime minister
Khalifa ibn Salman Al Khalifa Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa ( ar, خليفة بن سلمان آل خليفة) (24 November 1935 – 11 November 2020) was a Bahraini royal and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Bahrain from 10 January 1970 until his death in 20 ...
praised the king's speech and shared his regret and condolences. On the other hand,
Al Wefaq Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society ( ar, جمعية الوفاق الوطني الإسلامية; ), sometimes shortened to simply Al-Wefaq, was a Shi'a Bahraini political party, that operates clandestinely after being ordered by the highest co ...
, the country's largest opposition party suspended their participation in the
Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
on 15 February and threatened to resign, in protest of what it called "the brutal practices of security forces". The same day, other
opposition parties Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. This article uses the term ''government'' as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning ''th ...
protested what they called the government's "excessive" reaction to protests, and the Progressive Democratic Tribune called for formation of a national body to unite
Shia Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
and Sunna like the
National Union Committee The National Union Committee ( ar, هيئة الاتحاد الوطني) was a nationalist reformist political organization formed in Bahrain in 1954 (originally named the ''Higher Executive Committee'', ar, الهيئة التنفيذية الع ...
had done in the 1950s. The Bahrain Human Rights Society criticized the government response to protests of 14th and 15th, accusing it of censorship and non-compliance with international covenants that it had signed. Internationally, Navi Pillay, the
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, commonly known as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) or the United Nations Human Rights Office, is a department of the Secretariat of the United Nati ...
on 15 February, called the government of Bahrain to stop what she called "the excessive use of force" against protesters and to release protest-related prisoners.
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
State Department spokesman
P.J. Crowley Philip J. "P.J." Crowley (born July 28, 1951) is the former United States Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, having been sworn into office on May 26, 2009. He resigned on March 13, 2011, following comments he made about the treatmen ...
said that the US was "very concerned by recent violence surrounding protests" of the 14th and 15th. In a 15 February appeal,
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
called the Bahraini authorities to stop using what it called "excessive force" against protesters, to put all security forces' members who had used excessive force on trial and "to respect and protect the right of freedom expression, movement and assembly in Bahrain".


References

{{Good article Arab rebellions Protests in Bahrain Human rights abuses in Bahrain Bahraini uprising of 2011 Protest-related deaths Articles containing video clips February 2011 events in Asia