Empty Stomach Warriors: A Show of Solidarity
Al AKhbar – 3 May, 2012

A crowd of over 200 gathered outside of Israel’s Ramleh Prison Hospital on Thursday, in solidarity with the over 2,000 Palestinian prisoners currently on hunger strike. The joint strike, which began on 17 April 2012, was initiated in conjunction with Palestinian Prisoners’ Day in protest at Israel’s exploitive use of administrative detention and the inhuman treatment of Palestinian prisoners.

Eight long-term Palestinian hunger strikers are currently being held in Israel’s Ramleh prison hospital, including: Bilal Diab (67 days), Thaer Halahleh (67 days), Hassan Safadi (62 days), Omar Abu Shanan (61 days), Jafar Ezzedine (44 days).

“These men are all being denied access to independent doctors and lawyers, despite their rapidly deteriorating health conditions, as Israeli authorities continue to violate their human rights, in particular their right to health,” the
Addameer Association for Prisoner Support and Human Rights said in a statement yesterday.

Thursday’s protest were relatively quiet for two hours with only a few Ramleh police and prison guards standing on the outskirts of the demonstrations.

However things changed drastically when activists attempted to leave the confined area in which Israeli Authorities had given them a permit to demonstrate. Within five minutes, over 75 Israeli border and riot police encircled the demonstration.

Eight demonstrators were arrested while the rest of the protest was pushed back into a small corner, where they were held for over an hour.

Later that night, family members of the eight detainees went to the Ramleh police station to check on the status of their arrests. The family members, along with a lawyer, were reportedly beaten inside the station, with Israeli police arresting eight more people. …more

Bahrain: The Government vs. Media
2 May, 2012 – POMED

King Hamad Bin Aissa Al Khalifa of Bahrain accused foreign media of of exaggerating unrest and inciting violence. ”It is quite clear that Bahrain has been targeted by purposeful, willful campaigns in some foreign media that sought to distort true facts, instigate violence, sabotage, hatred and hostility among citizens in our united nation,” the King said. Though the King affirmed freedom of the press in this speech, Reporters Without Borders labeled him as a “predator” of the media, and blamed him for the violence and abuse of journalists and bloggers. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Khalid Al Khalifa urged regime loyalists to vote against the Al Jazeera documentary “Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark” in the Radio Times poll.

Frank Gardner wrote his report about his interview with Abdulhadi al-Khawaja. Brian Dooley called upon the government to release al-Khawaja instead of force feeding him, and added, “All of the 502 people convicted by the military court last year should have their convictions overturned, be freed immediately and have charges dropped against them.”

In related news, Naser al-Raas, a Canadien citizen, is now back in Canada and told reporters of his year-long ordeal in which he was tortured for 31 days. ”The first time that I felt safe was yesterday,” said al-Raas, who said he was electrocuted and subject to three mock executions — where his jailors fired rifles above his head — during his incarceration. Jess Hill asks: “will this quest for democracy result in Bahrain being taken over by its neighbour, Saudi Arabia?” …more

Demonstrations as Bahrain opposition says reform “not enough”
4 May, 2012 – AFP – Lebanon Now

Thousands of Bahrainis took to the streets on Friday in a demonstration called by the opposition to protest against constitutional reforms that they say are not enough.

The demonstration was called by the Shia-led opposition under the slogan “Sacrifices for freedom.”

Protesters marched from the village of Shakhurah to the village of Sar just outside Manama, according to the social networking website Facebook page of Al-Wefaq opposition group.

Images posted on the page showed symbolic coffins being paraded carrying pictures of people killed during protests that erupted in February last year.

Amnesty International says nearly 60 people have been killed since the protests began in February 2011.

“I am Bahraini and dictatorship does not represent me,” said one banner in a picture posted on the social network page.

The protest was staged to denounce constitutional reforms ratified on Thursday by King Hamad.

The amendments are aimed at defusing tension as the strategic Gulf kingdom has failed to return to normality after authorities quelled pro-democracy protests in March last year.

According to the amendments, the king now has to consult the heads of the elected parliament and the appointed Consultative Council before dissolving the legislature.

The elected chamber alone now has the right to vote to withhold cooperation from the prime minister and refer its decision to the king, who then has the final choice on whether to dismiss the premier or keep him in the post.

But the amendments fall far short of the demands of the opposition, which has been pushing for an elected government, not one named by the monarch, and the scrapping of the appointed upper house.