A day of testing

Bahrain sees new clashes as martial law lifted

Demonstrations were quickly scattered by security forces
by Martin Chulov guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 1 June 2011 19.04 BST

Protesters march in Duraz village, north of the capital Manama
A protester waves the Bahraini flag as anti-riot police storm Duraz village, north of the capital Manama, today. Photograph: Mazen Mahdi/EPA

Clashes between demonstrators and security forces have again broken out in Bahrain on the day martial law was lifted by a ruling monarchy battling to restore its image.

Today’s demonstrations were quickly scattered by the same means used to douse protests earlier in the year. Security forces moved into Shia neighbourhoods where people had taken to the streets and dispersed them with tear gas and bird shot. Human rights activists said those wounded were too scared to go to hospital and instead treated their injuries at home.

The kingdom had cast today as a watershed after 11 weeks of heavy crackdowns on Shia demonstrators that had drawn condemnation from the US and Europe.

King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa this week made a fresh bid for a national dialogue aimed at bringing the Sunni establishment and the Shia majority population together. However, rights groups say 21 opposition activists arrested under emergency laws remain detained. Numerous Shiite mosques have been destroyed during security sweeps and four people have died while in custody. The violence claimed at least 24 lives, including four security officers.

At issue throughout the 11-week crisis has been the insistence of Shiite demonstrators, who account for roughly 70% of Bahrain’s population, that they are disenfranchised by a regime that is deeply suspicious of their loyalties. …more