Bahrainis hold anti-government demonstration

The streets of Bahrain became the scene of more protest rallies against the ruling Al Khalifa regime as the crackdown on dissent continues. On Friday, the village of Diraz, West of Manama, was the scene of an anti-regime demonstration to condemn Manama’s iron fist approach towards dissent, press tv reported. The demonstrators, angered by the regime’s escalation of its deadly crackdown on protesters, honored the memory of slain protesters Abdul Aziz al-Abbar and Seyed Mahmood Seyed Mohsen. Seyed Mohsen was fatally shot during an anti-regime demonstration on Wednesday. Abbar died in February due to injuries he received when he was shot during clashes between the police and protesters. Bahrain has been the scene of anti-government protests since mid-February 2011. The country’s main opposition bloc Al-Wefaq said in a May 10 report that some 170 protesters, including 29 children, were detained by regime forces in April. The group also said that some 837 demonstrations were held across the kingdom in April. At least 58 protesters were injured in the government’s crackdown, most of them targeted by birdshots. On May 19, Amnesty International issued a statement, voicing concern over the lack of judiciary reform in Bahrain and severe clampdown on protesters. On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates invaded the country to assist the Bahraini government in its crackdown on peaceful protesters.