Bahraini Protestors Demand More Rights, King Slow On Concessions
By Ria Novosti
Tens of thousands of Shiite protestors poured into the streets of Bahrain’s capital of Manama on Saturday, they are currently approaching the building of the national government and want to stage a demonstration against it walls, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported.
Shiites account for about 70 percent of Bahraini’s population, but have long complained of discrimination and other abuses by the Sunni Khalifa dynasty that has ruled the tiny Gulf nation for more than two centuries. A wave of protests swept across Bahrain last week, seven people were killed. It is the worst unrest in the kingdom since the 1990s.
On Friday, King Hamad bin Isa al- Khalifa sacked four ministers, an attempt that could be regarded as a gesture of good will as the kingdom started a dialogue with the opposition after days of tumult, the Al Jazeera TV channel reported. However, the reshuffle did not satisfy the protestors.
A prominent Bahraini Shiite opposition leader Hassan Mushaima returned home Saturday after months of exile, and called on the rulers to be responsive to demands for more political freedoms. The return of Mushaima could mark a new phase for the anti-government movement Bahrain.
“We want to aggravate the situation as the government is reluctant to tune in to our demands. The dismissal of three ministers which took place yesterday is not enough. The cabinet of ministers should be dissolved,” opposition activist Abbas Bhrami said.
“We will rally against the walls of the building of the government for several hours today, but if they do not listen to us again, protests will run over time,” Bhrami said.
