Bahrain Demonstration Quelled; Police Fire Tear Gas On Protestors

Describing protestors as rioters, the Bahrain official state news agency BNA said the latest demonstration has been quelled.

“All rioters have withdrew from the GCC Roundabout without any direct clashes with the Police Force,”  reported BNA. VOA reported that Bahraini security forces fired tear gas to clear out pro-democracy demonstrators camped out at the main square in the capital, Manama.

Troops from the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) Peninsula Shield Force started arriving in Bahrain Monday in light of the unrest the Kingdom is currently witnessing, with the UAE providing 500 soldiers and Saudi Arabi 1000. In a statement, the Bahrain Defence Forces (BDF) called upon all citizens and residents to cooperated fully with the GCC forces and welcome them warmly.

Tuesday, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa authorized the country’s security forces to take charge for the next three months, beginning today. That decision followed a petition by a pro-government parliament group asking for a curfew and to declare a state of emergency.

In a separate report, BNA said “A report documented by Bahrain Television was broadcasted today (Wednesday) showing videos of criminal acts in which pictures can’t lie and monitors real evidence for what was happening of random and barbaric attacks including the recent attack on some expats in Bahrain.”

According to BNA, the television report “shows how a number of Asian and Arab communities who were enjoying peace and security in the Kingdom of Bahrain were terrorized by using different terrifying and torturing means such as using swords and bladed weapons.” A Bangladeshi worker was killed and seventeen Asians were wounded with injuries varied between medium and critical, BNA continued.