August 14 , 2013 Bahrain Protests - Independence Day from Britain..... Tamarod faces off against draconian new Bahrainian measures to stamp down protests....

Bahraini forces arrest opposition activists Local group says birdshot and tear gas used by security forces to disrupt attempt via social media to stage protest. Rahul Radhakrishnan Last Modified: 14 Aug 2013 18:28       The protesters say they want the Sunni ruling family to allow more democracy in the Shia-majority state [AP] At least 13 people have been arrested by Bahrain's government forces, who have used birdshot and tear gas in areas where anti-government activists were demonstrating, according to a local group. The protests on Wednesday were organised by a group calling itself Tamarod, meaning rebellion, using social media. Tamarod said its demand was that the Al-Khalifa ruling family allow more democracy in the Shia-majority state of 1.25 million. The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), a Manama-based organisation which monitors the Sunni-led government's rights record, said "large amounts of tear gas [were] used to disperse anyone gathering on the streets". Maryam al-Khawaja, BCHR's acting president, told Al Jazeera excessive use of tear gas had been seen in all areas where the protesters had gathered. "At least three protests were attacked by government forces using tear gas, and it has been very difficult for protesters to move from their villages onto the main streets because of the barbed wires that were set up last night," she said referring to a pre-emptive crackdown before the planned protests. The organisers had issued a call to protesters on social media to gather near Seef, a district in Manama which was to be turned as the focus point of the protests. However, the government forces intercepted the protesters and cordoned off the area using barbed wire. It has been very difficult for protesters to move from their villages onto the main streets because of the barbed wires Maryam al-Khawaja, Bahrain Centre for Human Rights Khawaja said that at least five people, women included, were arrested on Wednesday evening on their way to Seef. The al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, a mainly Shia opposition political party, released a statement on Wednesday saying that internet connection had been cut off in some areas in Bahrain. "Personal devices of some citizens have also been selectively cut off," it said. Radhi al-Mousawi, spokesman for the secular-leftist Waad party, told Al Jazeera that Viva, one of four major telecommunication network providers, had blocked the usage of popular instant messaging platforms such as Whatsapp. He estimated that at least 60 protests were held across the country. He said tear gas was used in Aali, a suburb north of Manama. "There is very little movement in most of the areas surrounding Manama and all shops are closed, but there are more than 60 demonstrations in different villages," he said. The Wa'ad party, which is not participating in the Tamarod protests, maintains that it is the right of the people to protest as long as they are done through peaceful means. The party hopes that government forces will deal with protesters in a "civilised way" and decries the harsh methods used on Wednesday, Mousawi said. The Ministry of Interior blames "terrorism" for instances of violence and imposed new laws this month allowing tougher penalties. During the protests in March 2011 at the now-demolished Pearl Roundabout in the Manama where protesters then congregated, communication networks were cut off, limiting contact outside of Bahrain. BHCR claimed on its website that a large number of foreign mercenaries were aiding government troops, indiscrimately firing tear gas and pepper spray. Mousawi, however, said it would be difficult to confirm if the troops were foreign. "The soldiers and police who stop you at checkpoints, are all Bahraini - so it is difficult to tell [about mercenaries] because they are wearing masks," he said. Bahrain Protests 2013: August 14 Will Be Biggest Protest This Year Brian Dooley in World 3 days ago Mic this!5 163 109 3 Bahrain Protests 2013: August 14 Will Be Biggest Protest This Year © AP Bahrain is bracing for a series of protests likely to be the most significant in over a year. Inspired by the Tamarod Movement, which helped bring down the Morsi government in Egypt, Bahriani activists will take to the streets on August 14, a date that marks the country’s independence from Britain.                                                                                  Friday, prominent Bahraini human rights defender Maryam Al Khawaja, Acting President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, was refused permission to board a British Airways flight from Copenhagen to Bahrain, apparently on the request of the Bahrain regime. She was allowed into the country earlier this year, and this denial is another indication of the government's tension as the 14th approaches.  “Everyone’s talking about the date, waiting for it,” said Said Yousif al Muhafda of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights. “I’m expecting large protests throughout the country —not just in the villages but in the capital Manama too.” The government is responding to the prospect of widespread dissent with a predictable reach for the Repression Button. A few days ago, King Al-Khalifa issued decrees banning peaceful protests and allowing for the prosecution of parents of children under 16 who take part in demonstrations. The King also welcomed 22 recommendations from its parliament on codifying its crackdown, including measures to ban sit-in protests in the capital and to strip the citizenship of those found guilty of “committing or inciting an act of terrorism.” Protests in Bahrain have become increasingly violent over the last year, fueling concerns among its allies. Bahrain hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet, and last month U.S. Senator Robert Casey asked the U.S. Defense Department if there is a contingency plan for relocating the fleet should instability make staying in Bahrain untenable. “I fully support efforts to address Bahrain’s political unrest before the situation degrades further. However, I am concerned that we apparently have not developed plans for an alternative contingency facility in this strategically critical and dynamic region,” Senator Casey wrote to Defense Secretary Hagel. The image of a country gripped by widespread demonstrations and rioting is obviously one the Bahrain government wants to avoid projecting to the world, but its repeated response to those peacefully calling for reform is to jail them. In recent weeks, prominent blogger Mohammad Hassan Sayef was taken into custody, and key human rights figures including Nabeel Rajab, President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, and Zainab Al Khawaja, remain in prison. The UN has criticized the regime’s recent repressive measures, and there are fears that a government overreaction is likely. Despite — or because of — consistent efforts by the government to silence dissent, protests have carried on since February 2011, when large-scale demonstrations in Manama triggered a violent response from government forces backed by Saudi troops. Now Bahrain’s Tamarod organizers are planning widespread civil disobedience, including a general strike. “We’re expecting violence from the police,” said Said Yousif. “Peaceful protestors calling for their legitimate rights are being called terrorists by the government.” Anticipation of the 14th is reinvigorating many dissidents in the country. Protests are expected to start on Saturday and last for several days. Staff at the country’s main hospital, the Salmaniya Medical Complex, told Human Rights First that all leave has been cancelled from August 12-14. Next week promises to be a huge test: for the ability of protesters to produce impressive numbers, for the willingness of the government to respond in accordance with international law, and for the commitment of Bahrain’s allies to push for reform. Foreign government response to repression in Bahrain has been patchy and generally weak, but in September, the United Nations Human Rights Council meets and the country’s issue is likely to figure prominently. Police violence against peaceful protestors next week could have almost immediate and significant consequences for Bahrain, and the U.N. meeting could not come at a worse time for it. International pressure hasn’t made much of an impact on Bahrain’s human rights crisis yet, but this week could change that. “We’re still looking for help from the U.S. and the U.K. to support our demands for democracy, just as they support those calling for democracy in Egypt,” said Said Yousif. Bahrain braces for anti-government protests

Police set razor wire and checkpoints outside Shia villages ahead of planned demonstrations. Gregg Carlstrom Last Modified: 13 Aug 2013 20:20

Police have used razor wire to block off the entrances to some villages, activists said [AP]

Security forces in Bahrain have begun a pre-emptive crackdown ahead of nationwide anti-government protests scheduled for Wednesday. The protests are being organised by a group calling itself "Tamarod," or "rebellion," mimicking the Egyptian movement of the same name, which organised protests that led to the military overthrow of president Mohamed Morsi last month. The group has urged businesses to join them in a general strike, and plans to rally in Manama despite a recently-issued ban on protests in the capital and harsh new penalties aimed at curbing dissent. Police on Tuesday set up checkpoints around Shia villages outside the capital which have been a main source of opposition to the government. Sunnis are a minority of the population in Bahrain, but they have controlled the government for decades, and protests have largely been led by Shia activists alleging discrimination and economic inequality. Al-Wefaq, the main opposition party in Bahrain, said that Sitra island south of Manama had been "surrounded... with roadblocks." Villages have been "caged in with barbed wire," said Maryam al-Khawaja from the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights. 'Draconian new measures' Wednesday marks the anniversary of Bahrain's independence from the United Kingdom in 1971. It also marks two-and-a-half years since the start of the current unrest in Bahrain, which began with a month-long sit-in at Manama's Pearl Roundabout. Security forces crushed that protest in March 2011, with the backing of other Gulf countries. These draconian new measures are disgraceful. National security must not be used as an excuse to sanction the repression of peaceful protests. Philip Luther, Amnesty International Demonstrations have been largely confined to the villages since then, and Wednesday's rally will be the first attempt in months to stage a demonstration in Manama. As the opposition prepared to mobilise protesters, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa issued a decree last week which bans almost all "demonstrations, marches, assemblies and sit-ins" in the capital. Earlier this month, he decreed tougher penalties for "terrorism," a term the government sometimes applies to all forms of political dissent. Parents could be jailed if their children participate in protests, and authorities can revoke Bahraini citizenship from anyone who "commits or incites an act of terrorism." "The government will forcefully confront the suspicious calls to violate law and order and those who stand behind them," Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa said in remarks carried by state media. There have been scattered acts of violence across the island in recent weeks. A car bomb went off earlier this month in Budaiya, west of the capital, and another one last month exploded near a mosque in Riffa, a largely pro-government town. But anti-government protesters have largely refrained from violence, and rights groups condemned the new penalties as an effort to ban acts of peaceful protest. “For years the authorities in Bahrain have shamelessly sought to stifle freedom of expression," said Philip Luther, the Middle East and North Africa director at Amnesty International. "These draconian new measures are disgraceful. National security must not be used as an excuse to sanction the repression of peaceful protests." Hundreds arrested Authorities have also preemptively rounded up hundreds of activists over the past month. One of the most recent was Mohammad Sanad al-Makina, a banker, who was arrested at the airport earlier this month and charged with "inciting hatred against the regime." Amnesty International called him a prisoner of conscience. The detainees also include at least five bloggers and photographers, according to Reporters Without Borders. One of them, Mohammed Hassan, was seized from his home in the early hours of July 31 by dozens of masked policemen. His lawyer was subsequently arrested after saying that Hassan appeared to have been tortured. Bahrain also last week deported an American teacher for her alleged links to "radical groups," including Hezbollah, the Lebanese political party and militia. Authorities routinely accuse the opposition of having links to Iran and Hezbollah, but have provided no evidence to back up their claims. At least 80 people have been killed since the unrest began in Bahrain, according to rights activists, and thousands more injured and arrested.