Thousands protest outside Bahrain king's palace
MANAMA — Thousands of people held a protest against the Bahraini monarchy outside one of the king's palaces near Manama on Saturday, a day after a failed attempt to march on another royal palace.
Demonstrators called for the fall of the regime, chanting slogans against the king and the monarchy, from a street next to the walled Safriya Palace compound.
The lack of a security presence outside the palace suggested King Hamad was not in residence.
Anti-government protests in Shiite-majority but Sunni-ruled Bahrain broke out on February 14, after popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia toppled those countries' long-time autocratic rulers.
An email from a grouping of anti-government youth activists announcing the march said: "The February 14 Coalition calls on the people of Bahrain to maintain the pressure on the Al-Khalifa regime and urge them peacefully to step down, by marching towards the (Safriya) Palace."
As the protest wound down, dozens of anti-government protesters mobbed someone off to the side of the road, whom activists said was either a security forces employee or a government supporter, though this could not be verified.
Some of the protesters tried to protect the man, who apparently later left in an ambulance although it was unclear if he sustained injuries.
Some opposition groups and protesters stop short of calling for the end of the monarchy while others demand its fall. Protesters have kept up a vigil in hundreds of tents in Pearl Square, the epicentre of anti-government protests.
On Friday, police fired tear gas at anti-government protesters to block a march toward another royal palace and prevent clashes with armed loyalists.
(source: google.com/hosted news)
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Gates Calls Bahrain Reforms Insufficient
By NATHAN HODGE
ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT—Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said "baby steps" toward internal reform weren't enough to stave off a deeper crisis in Bahrain, one day after violent clashes erupted between demonstrators and pro-government loyalists in the Gulf kingdom.
Mr. Gates met King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa and Crown Prince Sheik Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa of Bahrain Saturday in a bid to persuade the ruling family to speed internal reform.
"I told both the king and the crown prince that across the region I did not believe there could be a return to the status quo and—that there was change, and it could be led, or it could be imposed," he said. "Obviously, leading reform—and being responsive—is the way we would like to see this move forward."
Bahrain, a strategic ally of Washington and home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, has been rocked by violent demonstrations in recent weeks. Shortly ahead of Mr. Gates's arrival Friday, antiregime protesters clashed with loyalists, the first major disturbances since the crown prince ordered the military off the streets three weeks ago and called for dialogue with the opposition.
Mr. Gates's visit was meant as a show of support for the ruling family, but it also marked the start of a new outreach to U.S. allies in the region. The Obama administration wants to encourage rulers to avoid further instability by embracing internal reform, and Mr. Gates is planning similar discussions with regional leaders in the coming weeks.
(source:wallstreet journal)
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