Bahrain, a US ally and home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, has been in turmoil since protests erupted on Feb 14 last year, inspired by demonstrations sweeping the Arab world.
The government imposed martial law last year and crushed demonstrations after inviting troops from other Gulf states, to help restore order.
The anniversary of last year’s protests has seen an increase in demonstrations, mainly by Shias who say they seek more democracy. The past week has seen police use water cannon to disperse protests for the first time in 11 months.
Yesterday’s clash took place in Jidhafs, an area just outside the capital Manama, after the funeral of Hussein al-Baqali, 19, whose family says he died this week from burns sustained last month during a tyre-burning at anti-government protests.
His family says he was unable to go to state hospitals for fear of arrest. The Interior Ministry said he set himself alight with intent to commit suicide.
“After the burial of Hussain al-Baqali in Jidhafs, groups of vandals rioted.
Police legally dispersed them,” the Interior Ministry said in its Twitter feed.
Police moved in on a group of over 500 people who marched down to a traffic junction inside the town, using two water cannon lorries backed up by helicopters and dozens of riot police in armoured vehicles and on foot firing tear gas.
The ministry also said “vandals” were later arrested for trying to block traffic on the highway near the former Pearl Roundabout, a traffic junction occupied by anti-government protesters for a month last year until the movement was crushed.
The junction’s pearl monument, once a national landmark, was razed after the protests last year. Opposition figures have said
they wanted to mark the anniversary of the protests by re-occupying the area. There have been clashes in nearby Shia villages all week.
Said Yousif Almuhafda, an opposition activist, said different groups totalling around 30 people had tried yesterday to approach the roundabout, which is under heavy guard. Some were arrested after tear gas was fired.
