…from beneath the crooked bough, witness 230 years of brutal tyranny by the al Khalifas come to an end

World leaders are calling for the cessation of Bahrain’s 2012, as the nation comes unraveled after the Kingdoms brutal King Hamad, orders a violent crackdown on peaceful protesters in the streets of Bahrain, as “trial laps” begin what has now become the Worlds “Great Race of Shame”.

Today’s calls by world leaders to stop the Bahrain F1 against a backdrop of regime brutality is truly Bahrain’s “Shot heard around the world”. The caveat, just as it was in Concord Massachusetts after the “shot that was heard around the world” was fired, will be the bloody aftermath of torture and murders that will plague the Kingdom after the F1 is gone and the press has cleared the decks. Phlipn.

Ralph Waldo Emerson – 1803-82, was a key early American philosopher, poet and writer, particularly known for his appreciation of individualism, self-reliance and intuition. He wrote the poem “Concord Hymn”, which was sung at a July 4, 1837 ceremony to mark the completion of the Concord Monument, to immortalize the resistance of American Minutemen to British forces on April 19, 1775. The poem’s phrase “shot heard round the world” is now internationally famous for its description of the philosophical importance of the American revolution

Concord Hymn
by Ralph Waldo Emerson

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard round the world.

The foe long since in silence slept;
Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;
And Time the ruined bridge has swept
Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.

On this green bank, by this soft stream,
We set to-day a votive stone;
That memory may their deed redeem,
When, like our sires, our sons are gone.

Spirit, that made those heroes dare
To die, and leave their children free,
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.

…source

Democracy campaigners in Bahrain and politicians around the world are calling for this Sunday’s Formula 1 race in the Gulf state to be canceled as violent clashes continue between activists and authorities.

Why Is Bahrain F1 Race Under Fire?
Peter Wilkinson – CNN – 20 April, 2012

(CNN) — Democracy campaigners in Bahrain and politicians around the world are calling for this Sunday’s Formula 1 race in the Gulf state to be canceled as violent clashes continue between activists and authorities. What are the issues around the controversy, and how are the sport and its fans reacting? Why are there calls for this weekend’s Grand Prix in Bahrain to be scrapped? Opposition groups in Bahrain as well as politicians, rights groups and many F1 fans around the world want Sunday’s Grand Prix — which could be watched by a global audience of more than 500 million — to be canceled while the Gulf state braces itself for more violent demonstrations after months of political unrest.

Protesters see the race as a publicity stunt by the country’s rulers to make the nation seem more unified than it actually is. The Bahrain Grand Prix was canceled last year amid a Shiite-led uprising against the Sunni monarchy and a government crackdown in which dozens were killed and hundreds detained.

Nabeel Rajab, an opposition protester, said the demonstrators were not against the Formula One race itself. “We are just against the government or the oppressive ruling elite using that as PR,” Rajab said.

In Britain, where many F1 teams are based, opposition leader Ed Miliband said: “Sport and politics generally shouldn’t mix, but … what kind of signal does it send to the world when this grand prix is going ahead, given the concerns there are, given the violence we have seen in Bahrain, given the continuing issues around human rights?

“I don’t think it’s the right decision to let this grand prix go ahead and I think the government needs to weigh in and express its view.”

And opposition politician Yvette Cooper urged British F1 stars Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton to pull out of the race. “It shouldn’t go ahead, I don’t think British drivers should go. I think the Formula 1 should not go ahead in Bahrain,” Cooper told the BBC.

But UK Prime Minister David Cameron refused to join the calls, insisting it was a matter for the F1 authorities whether the race went ahead. “It is important that peaceful protests are allowed to go ahead,” he said. Why are protests now taking place in Bahrain? Shiite opposition groups in the Sunni-ruled kingdom say they want equality, and have posted calls on social networking sites for daily protests during the Grand Prix weekend, to focus media attention on their demands.

The government has sought to ban protests in the capital Manama but that has failed to prevent violent clashes in the capital between demonstrators and authorities, who are accused of heavy-handed tactics.

The government has condemned violence on all sides — saying that any police officers found guilty of heavy-handed tactics would be held to account and that protesters should behave in a civil manner as well.

An Amnesty International report this week says promised reforms in Bahrain are inadequate and fail to provide justice for victims of human rights violations.

Protesters are also demanding the release of jailed activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who has been on hunger strike for more than 70 days. Al-Khawaja, 52, was arrested in April 2011 for his role in anti-government protests that began a month earlier with demands for political reform and greater freedoms for Shiites.

In June, Bahrain found him and seven other Shiite opposition activists guilty of plotting to overthrow the country’s royal family.

The government also stands accused of punishing its own national sporting heroes and accusing them of being traitors. International and local human rights groups say three players in the Bahraini national soccer squad were arrested last year, along with more than 150 sportsmen, women and administrators. It is unclear how many remain in jail.

The authorities maintain they were part of illegal, violent protests. Could protesters disrupt the race or threaten spectators? This is the big question. Protesters have vowed to protest near the Sakhir circuit, which is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Manama, but witnesses there say there is a heavy police presence on the road between the track and the airport.

The unrest makes hosting the race precarious because the racers must pass through some areas where clashes have occurred to get to the circuit, which is in the desert.

On Thursday protesters burned tyres, briefly blocking several main roads leading to Sakhir. A Molotov cocktail exploded late Wednesday near a car carrying members of one F1 team, Force India, during clashes between protesters and security forces. No one was reported injured in the incident. …more

Western media has been significantly under reporting the size of demands, referring to protests as “small” and angry. They are not small and the protesters are way past angry – they are Revolutionary. It would seem the F1 teams and their sponsors have failed to comprehend the reality of hold a race in a nation under revolution or the are so greedy they are comfortable trampling the blood of the those who have given their lives for the revolution. Either way, the teams and their sponsors are stupid as fuck and it seems they will reap a harvest from disrespect they have sown. Phlipn.

Anonymous Press Release – Operation Bahrain Thursday – April 19, 2012 7:00 PM ET USA Anonymous has watched with growing alarm the incredible human rights abuses of the Bahrain regime.

We have watched this tyrannical government tear gas it’s own people literally to death, with over 30 fatalities so far. We have watched as thousands of innocent protesters and activists have been jailed.

We have suffered with our dear friend @AngryArabiya on Twitter as she watches her father slowly die of a hunger strike in prison to protest the atrocities committed by the regime of this “king” of Bahrain.

We have witnessed doctors and nurses imprisoned for simply treating the wounded protesters that your security forces have brutalized. And finally we have suffered in outrage the ignorance and out right lies of mainstream media regarding what is REALLY happening in Bahrain.

1) This is NOT a Shia uprising against a Sunni government. It is a popular and peaceful revolt against the medieval concept of absolute monarchy. It is a movement that spans all strata and sectors of society, and all religions in Bahrain. It is a movement that demands only freedom, justice – and democracy.

2) This government is not quelling violent protests, it is brutally and violently crushing peaceful dissent. 3) This government is NOT legitimate. It is a tyrannical, barbaric – and human rights violating dictatorship. And ANYONE doing business with this regime have the blood of Bahrain’s Freedom Martyrs on their hands.

For over a year now, we have as a global movement concentrated our efforts in Libya and Syria, leaving Anonymous Bahrain to to defend their fellow citizens in cyber space. This will no longer be the case. As of tomorrow, Friday – April 20, 2012 the entire global Anonymous will begin to take up the cause of the Bahrain Revolution.

The King of Bahrain be warned, we are about to unleash the worst shitstorm you have ever seen – and your time as dictator is over. We will help your people remove you from power, and we will see you tried in the Hague for your many crimes against humanity.

The occasion of Anonymous re-launching Operation Bahrain will be this despicable Grand Prix Formula One race to be held in Bahrain tomorrow through the 22nd of April. Mr. Eccelstone, you are either one evil mother fucker to hold your race in support of this regime (The Kings family are actually investors and make direct profit) – or else you have been lied to and are ignorant of the atrocities committed by these tyrants.

In either case, beginning tomorrow – and lasting for the duration of your race we are going to fucking educate you on the truth in a way you can not ignore. Beginning tomorrow, and lasting for the duration of this race – Anonymous will turn your web site (www.formula1.com) into a smoking crater in cyber space. We will also jam your phone lines, bomb your E-Mail inboxes – and wreck anything else of yours we can find on the internet.

You can god damn well expect us. And to anyone in the world who watches this race, either in person or on television – you also have the blood of the Bahrain Freedom Martyrs on your hands. Turn your face away from this abominable entertainment, and join us online to defend the brave protesters fighting for their freedom in Bahrain.

Finally, we join with Anonymous Bahrain in asking that all the drivers in this race protest this evil regime by refusing to cross the start line at the beginning of the race. Internet Freedom Fighters around the globe, join us this weekend and fight for freedom and justice in Bahrain: irc.voxanon.net #OpBahrain We Are Anonymous – We Are Everywhere – We Are Legion – We Never Forget – We Never Forgive – EXPECT US SIGNED — Anonymous

…source

The good people of Bahrain are calling on you to stop the brutal and murderous tyranny of the Al Khalifa regime. The good people of Bahrain have made continuous pleas for help over the last year. President Obama encouraged the people of Bahrain to hope for Democracy and their situation today comes from a hopeful response to decades of broken promises, lies and abuse from a brutal heartless King that lives to serve the lust and greed of others.

The governments of the United States and United Kingdom have been quick to embrace the brutal King of Bahrain as a “friend”, while ignoring the calls for support for a new era that would include democratic rule and an end to his Human Rights abuse. The internet is filled with the story of abuse that has filled the lives of Bahrainis everyday for more than a yaer. Its time to end this crisis and time to get on with humn liberty.

The brutal tyranny of King Hamad and the house of Al Khalifa must come to and end. This is not about a car race, it was never about a car race, it is about a tyrant King’s hate of the people, he and his family have brutalized for decades and a future filled with hope for a democratically inspired people and their desire to be free. Phlipn.

Protester being treated for injuries in home because he would be arrested at hospital, subject to torture and mistreatment

Porsche Supercup squad MRS withdraws from Bahrain citing fears about safety
By Sam Tremayne – 18 April, 2012 – autosport.com

Supercup team withdraws from Bahrain Porsche Supercup squad MRS has withdrawn its entry for the season-opener in Bahrain this weekend, citing fears about safety amid ongoing unrest in the region.

The Supercup will race in Bahrain as part of the Formula 1 undercard, although MRS has opted to forego the round – the first time in the team’s history it has cancelled a Supercup round.

“Ongoing unrests in the Kingdom of Bahrain in connection with the security situation have caused doubts by the team from Lonsee,” the team said in a statement.

Team chief Karsten Molitor said concern for the safety of his employees had forced the decision to withdraw.

“It is the first time in our team history that we have had to cancel a race of the Porsche Supercup,” Molitor said. “In the end we have the responsibility for our employees.

“The race in Bahrain is for us one of the season highlights, therefore it was not an easy to come to a decision. According to our drivers and partners we have reached the conclusion to start only at the second race in Barcelona.”

The Porsche Supercup will compete on the F1 undercard at all eight of the European grands prix in 2012 with Philipp Eng and William Langhorne. …more

Britain MPs put pressure on sponsors to stop Bahrain GP
19 April, 2012 – By Tom Cary – Daily Telegraph

Formula One was coming under renewed pressure on Wednesday night from British politicians to cancel Sunday’s controversial Bahrain Grand Prix.

As anti-government protests continued in the Gulf kingdom, Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn won support for an early day motion which “believes that the Formula One race will be used by the Bahrain government as an endorsement of its policies of suppression of dissent”. At the same time as that news was filtering through to teams out here, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Democracy in Bahrain published an open letter which it has sent to some of Formula One’s biggest sponsors, urging them to boycott this race.

“Should the Bahrain Grand Prix go ahead,” the letter read, “the sport and its associates run the risk of looking greedy and out of touch with the reality of the situation.

“We are most alarmed that you see no grounds to sever your brand and save its reputation from a totalitarian regime.”

The letter, which was signed by Andy Slaughter MP, who chairs the all-party group which includes four Lords and 17 MPs, was sent to big names from Rupert Murdoch, the chairman and chief executive of News Corporation, to Dietrich Mateschitz, the CEO of Red Bull.

Already the build-up of pressure has claimed its first victim, with Porsche Supercup squad MRS yesterday withdrawing its entry for this weekend’s race, which is part of the Formula One undercard, citing security concerns.

“It is the first time in our team history that we have had to cancel a race of the Porsche Supercup,” team principal Karsten Molitor said. “In the end we have the responsibility for our employees.”

Following the cancellation of last year’s grand prix, Formula One’s rulers confirmed last Friday their intention to push ahead with this year’s race.

The announcement triggered an increase in the number and intensity of the daily protests, which are now being witnessed by Formula One personnel, including international media, at close quarters.

Although the rowdier demonstrations are confined to outlying villages after dark, where youths and police trade tear gas and Molotov cocktails in running battles, around 100 protesters managed to gather in Bab Al Bahrain, the old souk in central Manama, yesterday afternoon, for a protest organised by human rights activist Nabeel Rajab.

Riot police used sound bombs to disperse the group after about an hour, chasing protesters through the streets, with Rajab claiming that only the presence of foreign journalists had kept them at bay that long.

“It’s positive now you are here, otherwise those guys would not respect us for a second,” he said. “We would have been attacked by sound bombs, tear gas and rubber bullets. This is the culture they have.” …more

Bahrain unrest intensifies ahead of Grand Prix
Lara Sukhtian (AFP) – 19 April, 2012

DUBAI — As Bahrain prepares to host this weekend’s Formula One Grand Prix, demands by protesters for democratic change are intensifying and the government position is hardening, setting the Gulf kingdom on a path to confrontation, analysts say.

Shiite-led street demonstrations have turned increasingly violent, as the ruling Sunni Khalifa dynasty continues its crackdown on dissent in a desperate effort to portray that all is well in the island kingdom ahead of Sunday’s race.

Regional allies, mainly Saudi Arabia, are lending the Khalifas a helping hand, while the United States has mostly turned a blind eye to the unrest, two key factors, analysts say, that have contributed to the current unrest.

The crisis is set against the backdrop of escalating tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, both of which see the success, or failure, of Bahrain’s protests as a key piece of the puzzle in regional hegemony.

There is a “pretty clear escalation,” said Joost Hiltermann of the International Crisis Group, which this week released a conflict risk alert on Bahrain.

Several factors are feeding fears of escalating unrest, he argued.

“The (political) stalemate is continuing,” and a steady pace of protests are ending in clashes, as protesters use fire bombs and security forces use tear gas and pellet guns, Hiltermann added.

According to Amnesty International, at least 60 people have been killed since the explosion of Bahrain’s Arab Spring-style uprising in February 2011.

Bahrain’s majority Shiites claim discrimination and marginalisation by the Sunni monarchy, and recent promises of reform by King Hamad have not been implemented, while attempts at a national dialogue with the opposition have amounted to nothing.

And as Formula One teams arrive in the kingdom, the opposition and the increasingly radical youth are calling for mass protests, using the world famous sporting event to shed light on their struggle.

For its part, the government is beefing up security and arresting activists, hoping to contain the unrest during the race.

Meanwhile, the deteriorating health of a prominent Shiite activist, Abdulhadi Khawaja, on hunger strike since early February, is yet another ticking time bomb.

It all makes “for a heavy brew,” said Hiltermann, warning that although the uprising is very much a local issue, it is especially dangerous because it has wider regional ramifications.

“A key factor here is the US. It doesn’t want to rock the boat because Bahrain is a critical link in its Gulf security architecture,” he said, adding that the Saudis too “are major power brokers…and have (Bahrain) by the throat economically.”

Bahrain’s crisis has unleashed long-standing fears among Sunni Gulf monarchies that a Shiite revolution in the kingdom would give Iran a foothold in the heart of the Arab Gulf. …more

Protests planned near Bahrain circuit
(UKPA) – 19 April, 2012

Pro-democracy protesters are scheduled to launch demonstrations in the vicinity of the Bahrain International Circuit on Sunday.

It is confirmation for the first time the threat of trouble has been mentioned with regard to the race, given previous rallies have been confined to villages and townships.

A risk assessment group, however, are suggesting the dangers that could lie ahead, both at the circuit and also Bahrain University, which lies two kilometres away. It then becomes a question of what level of protest unfolds, in particular as security will be at its tightest on race day.

Over the last few days demonstrations have increased in number, with 15 alone taking place in a number of areas across the Gulf island.

That followed a city centre protest spearheaded by the leader of the Bahrain Centre of Human Rights, Nabeel Rajab, which finally dispersed once riot police released sound bombs.

Protests are due to be ramped up over the next few days as the dissidents voice their objections to the government and Formula One.

In particular, one group known as the Coalition of the Youth of the Feb 14 Revolution have vowed ‘three days of rage’ over the course of this weekend.

One senior figure of main opposition party al-Wefaq, Sayed Hadi al-Mousawi, has asserted there will be demonstrations in the Sakhir region.

“There are hundreds, or maybe thousands, who will get there and raise slogans,” said al-Mousawi.

“They don’t care if they are taken to jail. People have reached the point of no fear.” …source

Companies shun Bahrain Grand Prix hospitality
By Tom Bergin and Keith Weir – 19 April, 2012 – Reuters

(Reuters) – Western companies are opting not to entertain clients and partners at the Bahrain Grand Prix following calls for sponsors to boycott the event because of political turmoil.

Royal Dutch Shell, which sponsors the Ferrari racing team, will not be hosting any guests at the event, a source familiar with the company’s plans said.

The Grand Prix was not held last year when an anti-government movement erupted in Bahrain following after uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, but in 2010 and other years, Shell had invited a “small number” of guests, the source added.

Shell declined comment on its hospitality plans but a spokesman said technicians would be there to support the Ferrari team “if the race goes ahead”.

Safety fears grew on Thursday after members of the Force India team were caught up in a petrol bomb incident and police used teargas to disperse protesters.

Agencies which offer corporate hospitality were also seeing less business than they had in previous years.

“We’re 80 percent down. We’ve got so few people going we’ve not even bothered to send out a representative to host them,” Daniel Bois, director of London-based ticket agency F1 Corporate said.

He added that the risk of violence was one of the reasons potential clients appeared to be deterred.

A source close to the matter said that Swiss bank UBS would not be sponsoring any client events at the Bahrain race.

Corporate hospitality raises around $200 million in total during the 20-race season – about 10 percent of total revenues for Formula One, a business majority owned by private equity firm CVC Capital Partners.

Vodafone, which sponsors the Maclaren racing team, said it was not planning to invite guests to the Grand Prix, scheduled for April 20-22, adding it was not a race at which it had historically arranged significant entertainment as it does have an operating business in Bahrain.

In recent days, a group of British lawmakers sent a letter to Formula One sponsors warning them they risk damaging their brands by supporting the race.

“We are aware of the international concerns. We continue to monitor the situation very closely. However, whether or not the event should proceed is a matter for the teams and Formula One,” said a Vodafone spokesman.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) gave the green light last week that the event, cancelled last year amid a violent crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators, was on. …source

A DANGEROUS ESCALATION: AT LEAST 11 SHOTGUN INJURIES ON 18 APRIL 2012
19 April, 2012 – Jadaliyya

Bahrain Watch Identifies Cyprus, UK, and Italian Birdshot, and Other Live Ammunition

[Manama] Activist group Bahrain Watch has observed a dramatic escalation in the use of birdshot and live ammunition by police against protesters over the past week, as well as a marked increase in related injuries. Many individuals are reported injured in the back, raising serious questions about whether police are using proportional force and are discharging their firearms only as a last resort, as required by Bahrain’s new police code of conduct. Meanwhile, new video shows policemen laughing as they repeatedly beat an arrestee with their shotguns, the result of continuing impunity.

Bahrain Watch has identified six birdshot manufacturers, and four manufacturers of live ammunition whose products have been used in Bahrain. The widespread use of these types of ammunition to control protests and riots makes Bahrain an international pariah in policing.

What is Birdshot?

Broadly, ammunition for shotguns is referred to as “shot,” and consists of pellets of a certain material inside a cartridge. Larger pellets are referred to as “buckshot,” whereas smaller pellets are called “birdshot.” Within the category of birdshot, shot is assigned a number to indicate the diameter of the pellets. Bahrain Watch has observed two sizes of metallic birdshot in Bahrain: #2 birdshot (pellet diameter of about 3.8mm), and #8 birdshot (pellet diameter of about 2.2mm). Typically, a #2 birdshot cartridge would have on the order of 100 pellets, whereas a #8 birdshot cartridge would have on the order of 500 pellets, assuming pellets are made of lead or a similar metal. Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior denies that it uses #2 birdshot.

Birdshot is typically used for hunting animals, or for clay shooting, where competitors shoot to break flying stone discs. Metallic birdshot is almost never used for riot control. When shotguns are employed for riot control in other countries, officers typically shoot “less-lethal” ammunition such as “beanbag rounds.” In contrast, Bahrain’s police primarily use cartridges specifically designed and marketed for hunting or clay shooting. Eleven civilians were killed with birdshot in Bahrain during 2011 according to the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry and Human Rights Watch, and scores have been injured throughout 2011 and 2012.

April 18, 2012: Bahrain’s Birdshot Night

While Bahrain Watch has observed near-continuous use of birdshot since the start of the uprising in February 2011, reports of birdshot use and injuries have dramatically spiked in the last week. On 12 and 13 April 2012, Bahrain Watch noted an abnormally large number of images of shotgun cartridges posted by activists from at least seven areas around Bahrain (A’ali, Bani Jamrah, Sehla, Ma’ameer, Sitra, and Duraz). On 13 April, an individual was seriously injured by birdshot at a funeral, and remains in the hospital.

On 18 April 2012, Bahrain Watch noted an unusually large number of images and videos of birdshot injuries from at least five areas around Bahrain. Reports on Twitter claimed up to 23 were injured by shotgun pellets on the night of 18 April. No medical records exist, as birdshot victims are treated in private homes; presenting at a hospital with a birdshot injury may mean arrest. Through pictures posted by village news networks and activists, Bahrain Watch has seen at least 11 of these injured individuals.

Bahrain Watch first performs reverse image searches on all posted images to validate their recency To identify distinct injuries, images from a given village are compared with each other.

Bahrain Watch stresses that the number of injuries is likely to be higher than 11, but cannot determine the number of additional distinct individuals injured. A description of the observed injuries from 18 April follows.

In Sanabis, where protesters chanted anti-regime slogans during a visit by Bahrain’s Crown Prince earlier that day, multiple injuries were reported in the evening. A village news agency in Sanabis posted a photo album of injuries. Among other birdshot injuries, the album shows:

An individual with more than 100 pellets in the back of his legs (right leg) (left leg).
An individual with more than 45 pellets in his back, also seen in this video (0:24 – 0:34).
An individual with more than 20 pellets in the back of his legs (right leg) (left leg), also seen in this video (0:05 – 0:21).
An individual with approximately 14 pellets in the left side of his body.

In the village of Abu Quwah, photos show:

An individual with more than 80 pellets in what appears to be his back.
An individual with more than 30 pellets in his back.

On the island of Sitra, photos and videos show:

An individual with more than 30 pellets mainly on the right side of his body. 16 pellets are visible in this still image, and the remaining pellets are seen in this video (0:05 – 0:29).
An individual with approximately 18 pellets mainly on the right side of his body, also seen in this.
…source

Bahrain Youth Revolutionary Holds Cocktail in Hand

Motor racing-F1 staff leave Bahrain after petrol bomb incident
19 April, 2012 – By Alan Baldwin – Reuters

MANAMA, April 19 (Reuters) – The violent reality of Bahrain’s political unrest moved closer to Formula One on Thursday when the Force India team said two of their staff had asked to go home after colleagues were caught up in a petrol bomb incident outside Manama.

A spokesman for the British-based team said one of those concerned was a team member, the other a contractor brought in for Sunday’s race. Neither were directly involved in the incident on Wednesday evening.

He said four team members had been returning in their rental vehicle to their Manama hotel from the Sakhir circuit when they were caught up in the incident on the motorway.

The Bahrain International Circuit issued a statement referring to “an isolated incident involving a handful of illegal protester acting violently towards police.

“During this incident a Molotov Cocktail landed in the vicinity of their vehicle. After approximately two minutes, the route was cleared and the vehicle carried on its journey,” it added.

“There were no casualties and eyewitness reports from the scene confirmed that their vehicle had not been targeted itself.”

The circuit said it had confidence in the authorities to deal with such incidents “and can confirm that all the usual precautions are being taken around the track to ensure the level of security is maintained”.

Numerous anti-government protests took place in and around Manama on Wednesday evening, with more planned leading up to the race, including one near the circuit according to the U.S. embassy. Police fired sound bombs to disperse the crowd.

Force India, whose drivers are Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg and Britain’s Paul Di Resta, said they had not been a target and nobody was hurt.

The MRS team entered in the supporting Porsche SuperCup series withdrew its entry from the weekend season-opener, citing safety reasons, without travelling to Bahrain.

“It is the first time in our team history that we have had to cancel a race of the Porsche SuperCup,” team head Karsten Molitor told autosport.com. “In the end we have the responsibility for our employees.”

Anti-government protesters are planning ‘Days of Rage’ ahead of a race that they want called off while security forces have rounded up dozens of activists in recent days in a clampdown on the opposition.

NO GUARANTEES

Bahrain has been in turmoil, with almost daily protests, since a democracy movement erupted last year after popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.

Local authorities have said teams need not worry about their personal safety but John Yates, the former assistant commissioner of London’s Metropolitan police who has been hired to oversee reform of Bahrain’s police force, said there could be no guarantees.

“People say can we guarantee security. Of course we can’t guarantee security. I’d be a fool to sit here and say that,” he told the Guardian newspaper.

“I judge it more likely there will be protests on the route and around the villages. I just hope it’s a good event and I hope it goes off without too much trouble.”

Police maintained a low-key presence around the circuit on Thursday, although that was likely to be stepped up considerably closer to the event and in the evening when teams are returning to Manama.

Teams at the circuit were holding news conferences as usual, without any reference to the political situation and tension around them. Nothing in their race previews indicated the event was anything other than a normal round of the 20-race championship.

Formula One last visited Bahrain in 2010, with last year’s race cancelled due to the protests, and the race is the biggest sporting event on the tiny Gulf island, with a global television audience of tens of millions.

Bahrain ‘Day Of Rage’ Planned For Formula One Grand Prix
18 April, 2012 – By Andrew Hammond – Huffington Post

DUBAI, April 18 (Reuters) – Anti-government protesters in Bahrain are planning “days of rage” directed at this weekend’s Formula One Grand Prix, while security forces have rounded up dozens of activists in a clampdown on the opposition in the Gulf Arab nation.

Bahrain has been in turmoil since a democracy movement erupted last year after uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.

The island state’s revolution was initially crushed with the loss of dozens of lives but youths still clash daily with riot police and thousands are turning out for opposition rallies as the motor race approaches.

“Boycott F1 in Bahrain,” reads a graffiti message daubed on a wall in a village outside the capital, Manama, next to a painted image of a red Ferrari race car. “You will race on the blood of martyrs.”

Bahrain’s ruling Al Khalifa family had to cancel last year’s race because of the uprising, but its return on April 20-22 is a chance to tell the world that all is back to normal – which could work if protests and clashes are kept to Shi’ite districts and do not reach major highways or the capital.

Bernie Ecclestone, the colourful British owner of the commercial rights to Formula One, said last week the race would go ahead because all was “quiet and peaceful” in Bahrain, which paid last year’s hosting fee of an estimated $40 million despite cancelling the race due to the conflict.

The Bahrain race, part of a 20-event worldwide season that has revenues of $2 billion, drew 100,000 visitors and generated an estimated half a billion dollars in spending when it was last held two years ago. Formula One, the business arm of one of the world’s most watched sports, is expected to be floated on the Singapore stock exchange later this year.

Race organisers say “the security situation in Bahrain is suitable for the staging of a major sporting event”. John Yates, a former senior British police officer hired by Bahrain to oversee reform of its police force, said he felt “safer than I have often felt in London”.

The official Formula One website, describing the Sakhir Circuit as “first-rate”, tells visitors: “As the wind picks up each evening and the early sunset takes hold, the place has a magical ‘Arabian Nights’ feel to it.”

Amnesty International said in a report this week that dozens remained in jail after unfair military trials for their role in mass protests a year ago while action was needed to address what the human rights group called discrimination against majority Shi’ites.

“With the world’s eyes on Bahrain as it prepares to host the Grand Prix, no one should be under any illusions that the country’s human rights crisis is over,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty’s Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director.

OPPOSITION PARTY RALLIES

The opposition, led by the Wefaq party, say they do not oppose the race and their protests – licensed by a government under U.S. pressure to allow more space for dissent – will focus on demands for political reforms in a country where the Khalifa family dominates government and the economy.

Formula One was originally brought to Bahrain in 2004 as part of economic reforms championed by Crown Prince Salman – whom Wefaq continues to bet on as a man to deliver political reform – to encourage foreign investment and jobs for Bahrainis.

“We think Formula One is a secondary issue compared to the question of long-term rights. What we care about is our demands. We don’t want to ruin the projects’ of others,” said senior Wefaq member Sayed Hadi al-Mousawi.

But he predicted protesters would try to hold demonstrations near or inside Sakhir, which lies south of the capital and away from most residential areas.

“There are hundreds or maybe thousands who will get there and raise slogans, and they don’t care if they are taken to jail. People have reached the point of no fear,” Mousawi said.

Thirty-five people died during a month of protests when the uprising first began last year, but activists say the ongoing violence has taken the toll to around 70.

Activists say heavy use of tear gas has caused many deaths. The government disputes the causes of death and their attribution to the strife, and accuses youths of endangering police lives with petrol bombs.

YOUTH PROTEST MOVEMENT

Opposition figures outside the political parties and who are opposed to the race say they will stage protests inside the F1 circuit if they can, hoping to catch international attention.

They say they will host daily events, including a march in Manama on Thursday at a location to be announced, culminating in a country-wide “day of rage” on both Saturday and Sunday.

“They plan activities at the track but they have not announced what. For sure there will be something,” said Sayed Yousif al-Muhafda of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights.

Activists opposed to the race point out that some Bahrain International Circuit employees say they suffered torture during the period of martial law that ended last June. Bahrain commissioned a report by international rights experts which revealed systematic abuse during the crackdown. …more

Bahrain activists vow days of rage for F1 race
19 April, 2012 – The Dailiy Star

DUBAI/MANAMA: Anti-government protesters in Bahrain are planning “days of rage” directed at this weekend’s Formula One Grand Prix, while security forces have rounded up dozens of activists in a clampdown on the opposition in the Gulf Arab nation.

Bahrain has been in turmoil since a democracy movement erupted last year after uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.

The island state’s revolution was initially crushed with the loss of dozens of lives, but youths still clash daily with riot police and thousands are turning out for opposition rallies as the motor race approaches.

“Boycott F1 in Bahrain,” reads a graffiti message daubed on a wall in a village outside the capital, Manama, next to a painted image of a red Ferrari race car. Another message reads: “You will race on the blood of martyrs.”

Bahrain’s ruling Al-Khalifa family had to cancel last year’s race because of the uprising, but its return on April 20-22 is a chance to tell the world that all is back to normal – which could work if protests and clashes are kept to Shiite districts and do not reach major highways or the capital.

Bernie Ecclestone, the colorful British owner of the commercial rights to Formula One, said last week the race would go ahead because all was “quiet and peaceful” in Bahrain, which paid last year’s hosting fee of an estimated $40 million despite cancelling the race due to the conflict. …more

Hunger strikes and political prisoners in Bahrain and the West Bank
by Claire Schaeffer-Duffy – 18 April, 2012 – National Catholic Reporter

Bahraini human rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja is beginning the 10th week of a hunger strike at a military prison hospital in Bahrain. Family members and his lawyer fear he could be close to death.

Al-Khawaja, 52, was arrested and tortured last spring amid a government crackdown against a popular uprising calling for reform of Bahrain’s Sunni-led monarchy. In June, a military court convicted him of “organizing and managing a terrorist organization” and sentenced him to life imprisonment. He launched his hunger strike — the fourth since his detention — to demand his release and the release of all Bahraini political prisoners of conscience.

Al-Khawaja is a highly regarded human rights leader, and news of his deteriorating health has intensified the international campaign for his release. From 2002 to 2008, he co-founded and served as the first president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, and most recently worked as the Middle East and North Africa project’s coordinator for Front Line Defenders. The Irish-based human rights organization has created a video to publicize his case:

Last week, Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt urged Bahrain to release the jailed activist, who has dual citizenship, saying he was in “very critical” condition. The prime minister’s appeal came after a judicial panel refused Denmark’s request for custody.

On Monday, two protesters draped a banner from the roof of the Bahraini Embassy in London that bore an image of al-Khawaja and imprisoned Bahraini Shi’ite opposition leader Hussan Mushaima. “Over 60 days on hunger strike,” the banner read in reference to al-Khawaja. Amnesty International just issued an action alert and petition on his behalf and Wednesday, Germany’s top human rights official, Markus Loening, called on Bahrain to release al-Khawaja and the “few hundred protestors” still imprisoned more than a year after the Arab Spring demonstrations.

All this publicity comes days before Bahrain is scheduled to host the Grand Prix. The royal family is reportedly divided on whether to release the jailed human rights activist. They publicly insist his situation is not grave because he is receiving fluid through IVs, but photos of the emaciated al-Khawaja widely circulated online don’t support that description. …more

Letter of Solidarity from Palestinian Prisoners to the People of Bahrain
by sasha- 18 April, 2012 – Witness Bahrain

Rough English translation below. The original Arabic is published here: http://www.almasryalyoum.com/node/777866

Your freedom is our freedom and our freedom is your freedom!

Greetings to you, my brother, Abdul-Hadi al-Khawaja, struggling in the face of tyranny and for freedom, freedom of the individual, the people and the nation, whether in Bahrain or in any/every corner of the Arab world.

In past years I have stood in solidarity with you from Haifa, from the captive nation of Palestine, which surrounds the racist, colonial, Zionist project; and today I am in solidarity with you while in an Israeli jail, two years out of an unjust nine-year sentence — a high price imposed by the colonial system on Palestinian leaders of 48 to deter them from communication with the Arab people throughout the Arab world, and the price of our interaction with people’s movements and struggles for their freedom and the freedom of Palestine and its people.

I follow your case from an Israeli jail in the north of 1948 occupied Palestine. I feel strong, the greatness of your stance, your gloriousness, and your heroic struggle, echo to dock with the stands of the heroic Palestinian militants Hana Al-Shalabi and Khader Adnan, who led open ended hunger strikes that lasted two months, and will also meet with the stance of five thousand Palestinian and Arab prisoners still in Israeli prisons.

When the will is free and the cause is just, and you embody both, the human is capable of making miracles happen, and no oppressive, tyrannical, murderous regime can harm it, not the Bahraini regime, subject to U.S. colonial imperialism, or the Israeli colonialism system in Palestine. It is the system of colonialism and its puppet regimes that have lost all legitimacy; while the people are legitimacy and its source.

Said the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Abdul-Rahim:

I will carry my soul in my hand
And throw it in the valleys of death
It is either a life that makes a friend happy
Or a death that makes an enemy angry

As you «carry your soul» in your open hunger strike, behind this is the essence of your position — that you love life; only he who loves life has the courage and the will to sacrifice for freedom and human dignity and the dignity of his people and the country’s freedom.

Greetings to you and be confident that the prisoners of Palestine are with you and the people of Bahrain and its revolution.

Prisoners of freedom and supporters of freedom in the world are with you.

Ameer Makhoul / Haifa – Palestine

(From the fleeting Israeli prison of Gilboa prison no matter how long the captivity) …source

12 April, Yates wrote: “Along with my family, I feel completely safe. Indeed, safer than I have often felt in London.”

Security can’t be guaranteed at Grand Prix, says Yates of the Yard
Richard Hall – 19 April, 2012 – The Independent

The former high-ranking Metropolitan Police officer currently advising the Bahraini government has said that security cannot be guaranteed at the upcoming Grand Prix.

Former Assistant Commissioner John Yates made the remarks as anti-government demonstrations continued to rock Bahrain and protesters called for a “day of rage” ahead of the event this weekend. Nearly 50 people have been killed since February 2011 in violence between security forces and protesters from Bahrain’s Shiite majority, which seeks to break the near monopoly on power by the island nation’s Sunni monarchy.

Protests have intensified in recent weeks and opposition activists have called for the F1 race to be cancelled.

Mr Yates, who in his previous job was known as “Yates of the Yard”, is currently on a six-month contract advising Bahrain’s ruling Khalifa family on police reform. He is also working on security for the event. He told the Guardian: “People say can we guarantee security. Of course we can’t guarantee security. I’d be a fool to sit here and say that. Is it possible there might be an incursion on the track? Of course there is. It’s an open event. Can you stop some idiot running onto the track? There have been other incidents of track incursions.”

Opposition figures outside the political parties – and who are opposed to the race – say they will stage protests inside the F1 circuit if they can, hoping to catch international attention.

Mr Yates said of the planned demonstrations: “There will be protests over the weekend. But we want to make this a sporting event, not a security event. …more