MIDEAST-CRISIS/BAHRAIN ANTI GOV PROTEST Demonstrators rally in Bahrain against arrest of political leaders

Record ID: 142181

  • Title: MIDEAST-CRISIS/BAHRAIN ANTI GOV PROTEST Demonstrators rally in Bahrain against arrest of political leaders
  • Date: 28th August 2015
  • Summary: DIRAZ, WEST OF MANAMA, BAHRAIN (AUGUST 28, 2015) (REUTERS) PROTESTORS ABOUT TO BEGIN MARCH HOLDING LARGE BANNERS, PHOTO BANNERS AND BAHRAINI FLAGS PROTESTORS CHANTING ANTI GOVERNMENT SLOGANS AS THEY MARCH, CARRYING PHOTO BANNER OF GENERAL SECRETARY OF MAIN OPPOSITION SOCIETY OF SHEIKH ALI SALMAN PROTESTORS MARCHING PROTESTORS RAISING ARMS AS THEY CHANT IN (Arabic): "We demand the release of the prisoners" VARIOUS OF PROTESTORS MARCHING AND HOLDING BANNERS AND BAHRAINI FLAGS WHILST CHANTING ANTI GOVERNMENT SLOGANS PHOTO BANNER OF SALMAN READING IN (English): "FREE OUR LEADER NOW" SITRA, SOUTH EAST OF MANAMA, BAHRAIN (AUGUST 28, 2015) (REUTERS) POLICE HELICOPTER FLYING ABOVE PROTESTS ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTORS HOLDING BAHRAINI FLAGS AND LARGE BANNER AS THEY MARCH PROTESTORS CHANTING AS THEY MARCH ON A MAIN ROAD PHOTOS BEING HELD UP OF A SENIOR POLITICAL OPPOSITION FIGURE SHEIKH HASAN ISA PROTESTORS MARCHING TOWARDS THE MAIN HIGHWAY ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTORS HOLDING TYRES AND MOLOTOV, PREPARING TO BLOCK THE ROAD PROTESTOR HOLDING UP PHOTO OF A SENIOR OPPOSITION POLITICAL FIGURE, FLASHING TO THE RIOT POLICE STANDING AT THE END OF THE ROAD VARIOUS OF ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTORS RUNNING WHILE HOLDING MOLOTOVS RIOT POLICE FIRING TEAR GAS AT PROTESTORS PROTESTORS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD VARIOUS OF TEAR GAS AFTER BEING FIRED TOWARDS THE PROTESTORS PROTESTORS WITH THEIR FACES COVERED THROWING MOLOTOVS AT POLICE MOLOTOVS BURNING ON THE ROAD TEAR GAS CANISTORS BEING RELEASED IN THE AIR VARIOUS SHOTS OF PROTESTORS THROWING MOLOTOVS AT RIOT POLICE AND BURNING TYRES ON ROAD RIOT POLICE AND VEHICLES AT END OF ROAD CLOSEST TO MAIN HIGHWAY
  • Embargoed: 12th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Bahrain
  • Country: Bahrain
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA81GA1I7RS6EEIU59EWMN4ANAZ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Hundreds of anti-government protestors took to the streets in various towns and villages in Bahrain on Friday (August 28) following Friday prayers to condemn the arrest of various political figures and to demand the release of political prisoners.
    Soon after the afternoon prayers, worshippers and anti-government protestors held a short rally holding banners and flags as they chanted anti-government slogans demanding the release of the prisoners and change of regime.
    Photo banners of Sheikh Ali Salman, head of the leading Shi'ite Muslim opposition group, Al Wefaq Islamic Society, who was sentenced to four years in prison early June this year, were held up by demonstrators.
    Salman was charged for publicly inciting hatred, disturbing public peace, inciting civil disobedience of the law, insulting institutions and promoting a change in the regime through military force. He is seen as a major political opposition figure in Bahraini politics. The sentence is to be reviewed in September by the Court of Appeals.
    The short protest rally was peaceful in Duraz compared with a similar demonstration in the town of Sitra (south east of Manama).
    There, protestors were calling for the release of Sheikh Hassan Issa, another senior member of Al-Wefaq, who said in a statement earlier this week that they hadn't heard from him since he was detained by authorities on August 18th.
    After the unauthorised rally in Sitra had come to an end, some rioters marched towards police and threw rocks and molotovs.
    Riot police fired tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd.
    Shots were fired but no injuries were immediately reported.
    Washington has criticised its ally Bahrain over the arrest and trial of several prominent opposition figures, including the head of al-Wefaq, Sheikh Ali Salman, and Ibrahim Sharif, former head of the secular National Democratic Action Society, known as Waad.
    Bahrain has been shaken by low-level unrest since February 2011 demonstrations during the Arab unrest.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register