Riot police did not immediately intervene as crowds headed to an empty lot dubbed ‘Freedom Square’ in the village of Miqsha outside the capital Manama. Miqsha has been a site of ongoing clashes between Shiite-led protesters and police.
Bahrain’s Sunni monarchy permitted limited sit-ins ahead of the Feb. 14 anniversary.
But Friday’s march appears aimed at creating a new round-the-clock hub of the protest movement similar to Manana’s Pearl Square, which was stormed by security forces last year.
Bahrain’s majority Shiites want Sunni rulers to give up their near-monopoly on power.
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