Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry

Chapter IV — Narrative of Events of February and March 2011
Bahrain or posters supporting the GoB. Later that morning, individuals
bearing knives and wooden planks were seen attempting to reach Roundabout
7, but police prevented them from accessing the area.
385. Several incidents of assault on persons and destruction of private and
public property were reported. For example, at 04:30 a complaint was filed
alleging that four armed individuals had assaulted a person in the Al-Takheem
area of the Al-Sokheir district. Later, at 06:30, a car parked at the Oma
Khayyam Hotel in the Gudaibiya district was attacked. Then at 07:30,
unidentified individuals damaged a traffic surveillance camera in the Sheikh
Khalifa bin Salman Road in the Buri area. The situation in Hamad Town
remained tense throughout the day, especially in the vicinity of Roundabout 7.
At 15:30, a group of almost 200 individuals was reportedly roaming the area
and damaging private property. This deterioration in the security situation led
residents in the area to begin bearing arms to defend themselves. Later that
night, reports indicated that four individuals had been severely wounded and
hospitalised after being assaulted by groups of unidentified individuals in the
area.
386. After Friday prayers, a number of demonstrations were organised to
protest against the coverage by Bahrain Television of the unfolding events in
the country. The first demonstration began at 14:30 at the Ministry of Labour
and marched towards the Information Affairs Authority, which administers
Bahrain State Television. The second began at the Central Informatics
Organisation and then joined the first demonstration at the Information Affairs
Authority. By 16:00, the total number of demonstrators exceeded 10,000.
They were led by political and religious figures, including Sheikh Mohamed
Habib Alsafaf and Mr Hassan Almeshaima. The latter made a brief speech in
which he highlighted that the opposition political forces had been calling for a
dialogue with the GoB before “the situation gets complicated and explodes”.
The GoB, he claimed, had not reacted positively, and this had led to the
current situation.
387. Most of those participating in the demonstrations denounced Bahrain
Television for what they considered to be its biased coverage of developments
in the country. Many also claimed that programming on national television
was inciting sectarianism and contributing to civil discord. In addition, many
protesters raised political slogans similar to those in previous demonstrations,
including calls to remove the regime, reject sectarianism and affirm
commitment to national unity.
388. The other major demonstration of the day, which was dubbed “Down
with the GoB”, was organised by the seven opposition political societies (Al
Wefaq, Wa’ad, the Islamic Action Society, the National Democratic
Assemblage, the Nationalist Democratic Society, Al-Ikha’ National Society
and the Al-Menbar Progressive Democratic Society). The Haq and Wafa’a
opposition movements joined in organising the protest, and representatives of
the GFBTU also participated. The organisers issued a press release before the
protest stating that they were demanding the appointment of a transitional
government of people who were known not to be corrupt and who were
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