Bahrain's Unrest

[jcustis]

Seems the Bahraini security forces "aren't screwing around," as one journalist on the streets put it.

Hmmm, this has interesting implications. It is HQ 5th Fleet after all.

I am curious about a particular fact though, and that is what strata of society the protesters are from. Ruling families, TCN residents, or disenfranchised Arabs who claim Bahrain home but do not have any ties to ruling class?

This quote from the current article on the CNN site left me curious about the notion of the right to assemble that she highlights. Do Bahraini's have the right to assemble peacefully? It would seem that the security forces have cracked down under the guise of public safety for all, considering the protesters had occupied a traffic circle, presumably causing traffic problems throughout Manama.

"Catherine Ashton, the European Union foreign policy chief, deplored the violence and loss of life. "She also calls on the Bahraini authorities to fully respect and protect the fundamental rights of their citizens, including the right to assemble peacefully. The peaceful expression of people's concerns should be met through dialogue," according to a statement from her office."

I suspect that this thread, the Egypt thread, and the few others that will be spawned, will be merged together down the road in a larger thread with a different title, noting the discord throughout many Muslim countries.