Bahrain Violence Continues Amid Funerals

by Jordan Yerman | February 18, 2011 at 08:58 am

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As Bahrain Buries its Dead, Political Violence Continues

Bahrain'ssecurity forces are continuing to shoot at citizens, even as they try to bury their dead from clashes earlier in the week. Four anti-government demonstrators were killed when government forces conducted a nighttime raid on the Pearl intersection in Manama, which has become the epicenter for demonstrations. According to opposition organizers, over 70 people are reported missing, presumed arrested.

The military is now in control of Manama, and they do not have the friendly relationship to the people as does Egypt's military. Rhetoric on both sides is heating up as public gatherings have been banned. The Al Wefaq party made good on its threat to leave parliament, saying that its members would not return until public anti-government protests were allowed.

As Bahrain is a strategic ally of the US, we can expect similarly vague public statements as those we got on Egypt, before the tide definitively turns one way or the other.

Hundreds of demonstrators marching from Daih, a Shia stronghold, walked towards the soldiers slowly, some holding flowers and leafy branches, but were swiftly repelled by what could have been live ammunition.

According to Al Jazeera, hospitals are overwhelmed by the influx of gunshot victims: citizens shot by police and the military.

"We need help! Our staff is entirely overwhelmed. They are shooting at people's heads. Not at the legs. People are having their brains blown out," a distraught Dr Ghassan said, describing the chaos at the hospital as something close to a war zone.

He said the hospital was running short of blood and appealed for help to get more supplies. Police had no immediate comment.