Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry

Chapter IV — Narrative of Events of February and March 2011
451. Political consultations continued throughout the day between HRH
the Crown Prince and opposition leaders. Among those who presented their
visions on the proposed national dialogue was Sheikh Abdulla Al-Ghuraifi,
who sent a document to HRH the Crown Prince which included the following
demands:
a. The establishment of a constitutional monarchy;
b. The establishment of a fully empowered parliament;
c. Ensuring an elected and fully representative government; and
d. A fair electoral district system.
452. During earlier discussions between representatives of HRH the
Crown Prince and members of Al Wefaq, the latter expressed unease about
entering into a national dialogue in which other stakeholders would be
present. Their preference was to conduct a direct one-to-one dialogue with
HRH the Crown Prince. HRH the Crown Prince’s negotiating team felt that
this would complicate the process of launching the national dialogue because
of the necessity of including the Gathering of National Unity. When the
representatives of HRH the Crown Prince discussed the matter with Sheikh
Abdullatif Al-Mahmood, the latter also mentioned that he was willing to
accept a dialogue that was set up in a way that did not require that they
negotiate face-to-face with Al Wefaq, so as to avoid a confrontation.
Saturday, 12 March 2011
453. For the second consecutive day, protests were organised at locations
directly affiliated with the Royal Palace. At around 14:30, individuals began
to gather at the Malkeya District Roundabout, after which they began to march
towards the Safriyya Palace. By 15:00, persons from Dar Kulaib and Sadad
joined the demonstration, increasing the number of participants to almost
2,000. By 16:00, the march reached the main gates of the Safriyya Palace and
by that time had over 12,000 participants. Among the political figures leading
the demonstration were Mr Hassan Almeshaima, Sheikh Mohamed Habib
Elsafaf and Dr Abduljalil El-Sankis.
454. Similar to previous demonstrations, the protesters called for the
removal of the regime, the resignation of the GoB and the abrogation of the
Constitution. Many of the demonstrators also criticised the King and repeated
the slogan, “Down … Down Hamad”, which by now was being frequently
heard in Bahrain. Many of the protesters also criticised the Prime Minister
and demanded his resignation. Among the notable features of this
demonstration was that many of the protesters wore white garments as a
symbol of their preparedness to die to achieve their objectives.
455. Unlike the demonstration of the previous day at the Sa’aa
Roundabout in Riffa, there was no police presence during this demonstration
and no confrontations between demonstrators and security personnel were
reported.
123