- Title: BAHRAIN: Bahrainis stage pro-democracy rally
- Date: 4th January 2014
- Summary: MANAMA, BAHRAIN (JANUARY 3, 2014) (REUTERS) DEMONSTRATORS STANDING ON A ROUNDABOUT ON A HIGHWAY IN THE CAPITAL HOLD BANNERS THAT READ (English): "SILENCE KILLS DEMOCRACY / BECAUSE OF CAMERAS" WITH IMAGES OF JAILED PHOTOGRAPHERS CLOSE OF BANNER WITH PHOTOS OF JAILED PHOTOGRAPHERS DEMONSTRATORS HOLDING BANNER LEAD RALLY FOLLOWED BY CHANTING PROTESTERS, SOME HOLDING BAHRAIN FLAGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF PEOPLE IN JAIL DEMONSTRATORS CHANTING DURING RALLY MARCHING DEMONSTRATORS HOLD POSTERS OF SENIOR BAHRAINI SHI'ITE CLERIC ISA QASIM SHEIKH ALI SALMAN, SHI'ITE CLERIC AND SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE AL-WEFAQ ISLAMIC ASSOCIATION, THE MAIN OPPOSITION PARTY MARCHING WITH DEMONSTRATORS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE AL-WEFAQ ISLAMIC ASSOCIATION, SHEIKH ALI SALMAN, SAYING: "We make sure that our protests and demands for our rights are carried out in a peaceful manner." DEMONSTRATORS HOLDING LARGE POSTER OF ISA QASIM, READING (English): "No retreating and no superficial solutions, where the free women and men be put in jail again, and the streets be painted with the people's blood, and the national unity be shattered, and people be deprived bread, and the armies be mobilised and the safe be deprived sleep." (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE AL-WEFAQ ISLAMIC ASSOCIATION, SHEIKH ALI SALMAN, SAYING: "Last week I was summoned for questioning at the investigation centre regarding a sermon speech I made at a mosque. I made sure the message passed was peaceful and about various rights of the Bahraini people and the sermon was about unity, love and national interest. And these kinds of sermons will continue until the people get their actual rights." VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING / CHANTING (Arabic): "With our soul, with our blood, we will surrender to you Bahrain." PROTESTERS HOLDING FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE AL-WEFAQ ISLAMIC ASSOCIATION, SHEIKH ALI SALMAN, SAYING: "It still remains that it is impossible to make us believe in these kinds of formal statements, because these statements have been proven incorrect by various authorities. The Bassiouni report proved the same, the Geneva commission proved the same, the human rights also proved the same that these kind of allegations need to be investigated through a proper process by the authorities." DEMONSTRATORS AT RALLY VARIOUS OF WOMEN PROTESTERS HOLDING BAHRAINI FLAGS AND BANNERS AS THEY MARCH ON THE STREETS CHANTING WOMEN PROTESTERS MARCHING ON STREET
- Embargoed: 19th January 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Bahrain
- Country: Bahrain
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAAQC551W3PO7OHDDOHJK2PDU2I
- Story Text: Thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators march through the Budaiya Highway, west of Bahrain's capital Manama, calling for the release of detained activists and photographers.
Thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators took to the streets of the Bahraini capital on Friday (January 3) calling for the release of detained activists.
The rally, organised under the slogan "Dignity, Democracy and Freedom", saw protesters chanting slogans and waving banners with the names of detained photographers and activists.
Bahraini government and opposition groups are sliding into an increasingly dogged confrontation amid rising fears over violence, with authorities using arrests, raids and strict new laws against activists seeking political reform.
Efforts to reconcile the government and opposition groups seeking reform seem ever more hostage to hardliners on both sides, diplomats and analysts say.
Early last week Bahraini authorities said they had foiled an attempt to smuggle explosives and arms, some made in Iran and Syria, into the country by boat.
In government circles, responsibility for security flare-ups is placed squarely with the opposition.
Sheikh Ali Salman, a Shi'ite cleric and head of the main opposition al-Wefaq group, who joined demonstrators in Manama on Friday, said his party advocated non-violence.
"We make sure that our protests and demands for our rights are carried out in a peaceful manner."
Separately, Salman was summoned for questioning by the Bahraini authorities for a sermon he gave during a Friday prayer. He was released by authorities but a travel ban has been put in place against him pending further investigation.
"Last week I was summoned for questioning at the investigation centre regarding a sermon speech I made at a mosque. I made sure the message passed was peaceful and about various rights of the Bahraini people and the sermon was about unity, love and national interest. And these kinds of sermons will continue until the people get their actual rights," Salman told Reuters Television.
Speaking about a statement by the authorities that said its investigation had revealed plans by groups to carry out "terrorist acts", Salman said people distrusted the information they were presented.
"It still remains that it is impossible to make us believe in these kinds of formal statements, because these statements have been proven incorrect by various authorities. The Bassiouni report proved the same, the Geneva commission proved the same, the human rights also proved the same that these kind of allegations need to be investigated through a proper process by the authorities," added Salman.
Bahrain, home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet, has been in political turmoil since a 2011 uprising led by majority Shi'ites who demand more say in running the kingdom, which is ruled by the Sunni Muslim al-Khalifa dynasty.
Widespread and excessive force, including confessions under torture, was detailed in a report by an international human rights commission led by Cherif Bassiouni, a prominent Egyptian-American jurist.
The Bahrain government says it has taken steps to address security forces actions, but activists say abuses continue.
The Manama government quelled the 2011 revolt in the island kingdom, but almost daily protests and small-scale clashes continue, and bomb attacks have been increasing since mid-2012. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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