Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry

Chapter IV — Narrative of Events of February and March 2011
woman’s address was circulated via SMS messages and on internet social
media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, and there were calls for people
to attack her residence. In response, hundreds of Sunni men wielding swords,
knives, sticks and other weapons assembled at the woman’s house to protect
her from any possible assault by Shia groups. This incident intensified
sectarian tensions and contributed to a heightened sense of a deterioration of
security in Bahrain. The residents of some neighbourhoods also began to
consider the formation of “popular committees” to defend their homes against
attacks by armed groups that were reported to be assaulting private residences.
410. During the day, HRH the Crown Prince dispatched Mr Zayed Al-
Zayani to the GCC Roundabout to discuss ongoing developments with those
leading the demonstrations and overseeing the activities taking place in the
tents that had been set up at the roundabout. The purpose of this visit was,
inter alia, to reach out directly to protesters and to bypass Al Wefaq, which
HRH the Crown Prince now suspected was being intransigent and unwilling to
compromise.
411. Other demonstrations were recorded throughout the day, including at
the Ministry of Health in Juffair and at the Ministry of Industry and Trade in
the Seef district. Later, a group of demonstrators headed to the US Embassy
in Manama. By 10:30, the size of that demonstration reached almost 100
individuals.
412. Meanwhile starting at 15:00, large groups of people began to march
towards the headquarters of the CID. The number of people participating in
this protest reached around 3,000 by 16:30. The demands expressed were
similar to those at previous demonstrations throughout the country. They
included the rejection of political dialogue with the GoB before the regime
was removed, the call for the Prime Minister to resign and the demand to
release all political prisoners. Many people also called for prosecuting those
responsible for the death of peaceful protesters and for holding accountable
government officials and security personnel against whom there were
allegations of torture from the mid-1990s. Among the political figures present
at this demonstration was Sheikh Mohamed Habib Alsafaf.
413. The most important development of the day, however, was the
announcement by a group of opposition political groups of the establishment
of a coalition for the founding of a republic in Bahrain. The leader of the Haq
movement, Mr Hassan Almeshaima, announced the establishment of this
coalition in a speech at the GCC Roundabout, during which he highlighted the
following points:
a. The Haq, Wafa’a and Free Bahraini Movements have
established “The Coalition for the Republic”, which
endeavours to topple the monarchy in Bahrain and establish a
republic. This has become necessary in light of the
“oppressive and corrupt” rule of the Al Khalifa family.
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