Bahrain police disperse funeral procession with tear gas, stun grenades (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

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Published time: February 17, 2013 02:22
Edited time: February 17, 2013 06:22

Bahraini protesters rush away after riot police fired tear gas during clashes following the funeral of a teenager killed in protests marking the second anniversary of a Shiite-led uprising, on February 16, 2013 (AFP Photo / Mohammed Al-Shaikh)

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Bahrain, Clashes, Conflict, Human rights, Police, Politics, Violence

Violent clashes broke out in Bahrain at the funeral of a teenager killed in protests marking the anniversary of the revolt of the Shiite majority against the ruling monarchy. The procession was blocked and dispersed with stun grenades and tear gas.

Scuffles erupted after armed security forces blocked access to Hussein al-Jaziri's funeral in the village of Daih on Saturday. The authorities used stun grenades and tear gas to push out those who came to pay their respects.

Thousands of people attended the funeral after which the crowd of protesters marched on "Pearl Square" in Manama, the center point of the 2011 uprising.

Several people sustained injuries when police fired tear gas to disperse them, local witnesses report.

In the village of Sanabis west of the capital, local witnesses reported police using force to disperse a crowd hurling rocks and petrol bombs. Police fired tear gas during clashes with the protests.

Saturday’s events are the latest in a series of tussles between Shiite protesters and the authorities since Thursday, when the country’s opposition marked the second anniversary of revolt in the small island nation hosting the US fifth fleet.

The violence escalated following the death of a teenager on Thursday who was shot by security forces during protests against the kingdom's rulers. One policeman was also killed in that clash.

Although Thursday’s march had been authorized, Bahrain’s information minister Samira Rajab told RT that the killed teenager, along with a group of provocators, were in a forbidden zone “heading towards the police” with Molotov cocktails in their hands.

Two police officers had been placed in “preventive detention” in connection with this week’s events.

On Friday violence erupted after a crowd blocked a highway linking a number of Shiite villages to the capital.

Earlier authorities announced the arrest of four people in an overnight assault on law enforcement that wounded four policemen.

Bahrain’s two-year struggle has taken an estimated 80 lives, with torture and illegal detention allegations also brought against the regime by human right advocates.

On February 10 the Sunni dominated government started talks with Shiite opposition in order to fulfill oppositions’ demands for democratic reforms.

The coffin of Hussain Ali Al Jazeeri, a Bahraini teenager killed in protests marking the second anniversary of a Shiite-led uprising, is carried during his funeral on February 16, 2013 (AFP Photo / Mohammed Al-Shaikh)

Bahraini protesters throw back tear gas canisters fired by riot police during clashes following the funeral of a teenager killed in protests marking the second anniversary of a Shiite-led uprising, on February 16, 2013 (AFP Photo / Mohammed Al-Shaikh)

Bahraini take part in the funeral of Hussain Ali Al Jazeeri, a teenager killed in protests marking the second anniversary of a Shiite-led uprising, on February 16, 2013 (AFP Photo / Mohammed Al-Shaikh)

Bahraini riot police move forward to disperse protesters during clashes following the funeral of a teenager killed in protests marking the second anniversary of a Shiite-led uprising, on February 16, 2013 (AFP Photo / Mohammed Al-Shaikh)

A Bahraini protester waves a giant national flag during clashes with police forces following the funeral of a teenager killed in protests marking the second anniversary of a Shiite-led uprising, on February 16, 2013 (AFP Photo / Mohammed Al-Shaikh)

Comments (3)

Tirana44 17.02.2013 17:17

There's nothing as dangerous as a failing dictatorship.

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Akram Al Obaidi (unregistered) 17.02.2013 06:52

The only difference between Bahrain people and other Arab spring nations is that US is protecting the brutal king of Bahrain, while it failed to save Mubarak and bin Ali...Sadly, the UN is not doing anything like a castrated horse

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Mr.X (unregistered) 17.02.2013 04:42

For Thousands of years Bahrain was part of the Persian empire. From Parth ians and Achaemenids, S assanids empires respectivel y. The Arabs and The Portuguese ruled Bahrain for a short period; But in 1602 The Portuguese were expelled by the Persian king Shah Abbas I, of the Safavid empire. Iran's parliament passed a bill in November 1957 declaring Bahrain to be the 14th province of Iran. A t that time in 1970, the British government plotted to separate Bahrain, then the 14th province of Iran. The colonialist Britain , disturbed by the spread of Shiism in southern coasts of the Persian Gulf, devised the great conspiracy of separation of Bahrain from its motherland, Iran. Then, the British government installed Sunni Bedouins and desert-dwellers from the Al Khalifa tribe on Bahrain as governors, with aid from the Saudis .Al Khalifa a 15-per cent minority, immigrated to Bahrain to change its demographic features, and to bring about a gradual decrease in Bahrain's original citizens. Bahrainis which are majority Irani ans and Shias are fighting the Al Khalifa tyrannical� �regime. Bahrain today is occupied by the U.S. Navy (5th fleet) and the Wahhabi Saudi America and the old colonial fox Britain.
S o, now we understand why this struggle for freedom and democracy does not get the attention of U.S. "main stream Media" which are Zionist controlled.

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