Bahrain: Vicious attacks on protestors as resistance solidifies
Peaceful demonstrations were attacked this afternoon by the Saudi and Al Khalifa forces and Death Squads in the towns and villages of Sitra. Bahrainis have called for today’s protests calling for the right of self-determination for the citizens and an end to the hereditary dictatorship that have plagued Bahrain for decades.
The regime’s forces, many of whom are hired mercenaries, used chemical and tear gases to subdue the youth who reacted by erecting barricades and shouting slogans against the Saudi and Al Khalifa occupiers. Several Bahrainis were injured in these vicious attacks by foreign forces. One woman had her car destroyed by these mercenaries and fire was seen bellowing. Running battles are still raging between the two sides while the area has been hit hard with these poisonous gases. Several houses were attacked by the Al Saud and Al Khalifa forces.
The main slogan was: “Down with Hamad” referring to the dictator who has now become symbol of hatred in the country for his role in the bloodbath in the past few months. He is now held responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The town of Ekr, Mhazza, Ma’amir and Outer Sitra have become the main grounds of confrontations.
The Irish former Foreign Minister, David Andrews today said that Bahraini pro-government medics and state media staffers “bullied and intimidated” an Irish delegation of health workers and politicians here to secure the release of more than a dozen Bahraini health workers. He accused the president of the Bahrain Medical Society, Dr. Nabeel al-Ansari, of provoking the incident.
“It’s most unfortunate that we were bullied and intimidated by him and his representatives.” “We have not come to save Irish doctors,” Damian McCormack, who led the delegation, told reporters. “We came to Bahrain to help Bahrainis,” said the professor of orthopedic surgery at Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin. The delegation arrived on the Gulf island with a letter of support from the Irish foreign minister, Eamon Gilmore. They traveled here as part of an effort to determine the condition of the Bahraini health workers, many of whom had trained in Ireland.
On another level, more arrests have taken place in recent days, provoking more anger and frustration as the people continued their struggle to secure their rights. In the town of Al Ekr in the South East of the country, a Bahraini man was attacked savagely by members of the Death Squads before being snatched to the torture chambers. Jaffar Abbas Abdulla Al Moghanni was attacked as he walked in the street. His wounds were described as serious and he was on the brink of unconsciousness when he was kidnapped by the regime’s agents.
Another young man, Sayyed Ahmad Al Wada’ei was arrested in the early hours of today. He had been sentenced by the military court for one year imprisonment for taking part in anti-regime peaceful demonstrations. His image on several TV screens soon after the Saudi aggression in March with blood pouring over his face and soaking his clothes had angered the Saudi and Al Khalifa occupiers. Instead of arresting his attackers, he was treated in this way as the occupiers decided to take revenge from Bahrainis.
The release of the young Bahraini poet, Ayat Al Qurmuzi, has been hailed as a victory for the people over the hereditary dictatorship. Ayat was arrested in March and kept under severe torture throughout. She became a symbol of resistance with many world artists and poets campaigning for her release. She was forced, under physical and psychological torture to “apologise” from the dictator but she has now vowed to continue her struggle until a regime change is achieved. Her testimony is expected to contribute to the indictment of the dictator, Hamad Al Khalifa and both his son and uncle who had given orders to kill and torture Bahrainis. War crimes were committed and torture is still being administered under the instruction of them.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
15th July 2011
