Anti-government protests took place around the country after emergency laws were lifted on Wednesday
Bahraini police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters marching
against the government near the capital Manama, witnesses say.
The crackdown on Friday came just two days after the tiny Gulf kingdom's
authorities lifted emergency rule.
The protesters in Manama were marching adjacent to the city's Pearl
Roundabout, which was the epicentre of weeks of protests against the kingdom's
Sunni rulers, with demonstrators in particular demanding more rights for the
island nation's majority Shia population.
There were no immediate reports of injuries during the protests, the
witnesses said. They spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals.
Witnesses said that police fired tear gas at a crowd of hundreds of people
who had gathered to mourn Zainab Altajer, who died on Thursday. Opposition
activists said she died as a result of exposure to tear gas, but the government
said her death was due to natural causes.
The protesters marched through the village of
Sanabis, adjacent to the Pearl roundabout.
Sanabis, adjacent to the Pearl roundabout.
Also on Friday, hundreds of mourners gathered at a
cemetery in Manama to bury Salman Abu Idris, a 63-year old protester who died in
hospital, earlier in the day, of injuries from a demonstration in March, a
witness told Al Jazeera.
cemetery in Manama to bury Salman Abu Idris, a 63-year old protester who died in
hospital, earlier in the day, of injuries from a demonstration in March, a
witness told Al Jazeera.
Security forces had set up multiple checkpoints
around the cemetery in Gudaibya, where they were checking the identities of
those attempting to attend the funeral, and refused entry to "many", the witness
said.
around the cemetery in Gudaibya, where they were checking the identities of
those attempting to attend the funeral, and refused entry to "many", the witness
said.
He said that people at the funeral were "calm", and
while some in the crowd did raise slogans against the ruling al-Khalifa family
at one point, "not many people chanted with them".
while some in the crowd did raise slogans against the ruling al-Khalifa family
at one point, "not many people chanted with them".
He said some left after the funeral to protest at
the slums near Bab al-Bahrain, but were stopped by security forces armed with
tear gas and rubber bullets. It did not appear that security forces used these
weapons in that confrontation, however.
the slums near Bab al-Bahrain, but were stopped by security forces armed with
tear gas and rubber bullets. It did not appear that security forces used these
weapons in that confrontation, however.
The witness was speaking to Al Jazeera on condition
of anonymity, for fear of reprisals from the authorities
of anonymity, for fear of reprisals from the authorities
