Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry

Chapter IV — Narrative of Events of February and March 2011
among the residents of Riffa who then prepared to confront the proposed
march.
Thursday, 10 March 2011
428. The most significant developments on this day were the large
numbers of school students who demonstrated in many neighbourhoods and
villages across Bahrain and the clashes that occurred in some of those schools
between supporters of the government and anti-government protesters.
429. Starting in the early hours of the morning, students began to leave
their schools in numerous districts including Jad Hafs, Issa Town, A’Ali,
Sanad, Adliya, Diraz, Bou Ghazal, Naim and Hamad Town. Many of these
demonstrations took the form of marches that remained in the school
neighbourhoods, while in others the demonstrating students marched towards
one of the main protest centres in the country including the GCC Roundabout,
SMC and the Financial Harbour. The total number of absent students was
estimated to have exceeded 3,000.
430. Other groups of students proceeded to the Ministry of Education,
where they were joined by representatives of the teachers’ society. By 11:00,
the number of protesters at the Ministry had exceeded 300, most of whom
were demanding the resignation of the Minister of Education and criticising
the policy of hiring temporary teachers to replace those who had gone on
strike during the earlier days of the demonstrations. Later in the day, small
groups of individuals reportedly gathered at the residence of the Minister of
Education to protect it against possible attacks by demonstrators.
431. Meanwhile, one of the most notable incidents of violence in Bahraini
schools was reported when clashes occurred at the Saar High School for Girls.
While the exact sequence of events remains unclear, reports indicated that at
09:00 some of the students began chanting anti-government slogans and
demanding to be let out of the school. Thereafter, arguments broke out
between those students and pro-government students, which quickly led to
clashes between both sides. By 10:00, parents and family members who had
heard of these incidents began to converge on the school. This led to
confrontations among parents and between some parents and students.
432. As matters deteriorated, students and some parents began to threaten
the school Headmistress and some of the staff, which compelled them to flee
their offices and hide in the registration building inside the school. Later,
students surrounded that building and started attacking it with stones, breaking
windows and threatening those hiding inside. As the situation worsened, the
MoI dispatched riot control forces to disperse the gathering crowds. The
Governor of the Shamaliyah Governorate, members of Al Wefaq and other
community leaders also arrived on the scene to try to contain the situation. By
15:30, most of those present at the school had vacated the area and the staff
had been safely evacuated. In total, eight students were injured and received
medical care at SMC. It was decided in the aftermath of this incident to
suspend classes at the school indefinitely.
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