Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry

Chapter IV — Narrative of Events of February and March 2011
Chapter IV — Narrative of Events of February and
March 2011
A. Introduction
186. Chapter IV provides a narrative of the events that occurred in Bahrain
in February and March 2011, including the events that occurred at the GCC
Roundabout. The Chapter is organised into daily accounts. Subsequent
consequences arising from these events are covered in the remaining Chapters.
Events that occurred at Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) are covered in
Chapter V, for they raise issues related to a specific place with a unique public
service status. In recounting the events, this Chapter also provides the broader
context within which the events took place. There are, however, descriptions
of events and analysis of context in other Chapters that are more specific and
relevant to issues discussed therein.
B. Narrative of Events that Occurred in Bahrain in
February and March 2011
January 2011
187. Starting in late January 2011, ideas began to circulate on a number of
online forums and social networking platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter,
which included calls for demonstrations to demand political, economic and
social reform in Bahrain. These protests were designed to emulate the popular
uprisings that had erupted first in Tunisia and then in Egypt, which ultimately
led to the ousting of Presidents Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak.
Early February 2011
188. A Facebook page called “February 14 th Revolution in Bahrain” was
established to call for mass protests throughout Bahrain on 14 February 2011.
The page quickly gained popularity and several thousand people joined it.
The date for the proposed demonstrations was chosen to coincide with both
the tenth anniversary of the referendum on the National Action Charter, which
was held on 14-15 February 2001, and the ninth anniversary of the day on
which the current Constitution was promulgated and Bahrain was declared a
constitutional monarchy.
189. A group calling itself “The Youth of the February 14 th Revolution”
issued a statement outlining a list of steps that, in their view, were necessary
to achieve “change and radical reforms in the system of government and the
management of Bahrain, the absence of which [had] caused continuous unease
in the relationship between the people and the regime.” The authors of this
statement claimed to be unaffiliated with any political movement or
organisation, and disavowed any religious, sectarian or ideological bases for
their demands. They also emphasised that the demonstrations they intended to
organise would be peaceful. The statement included the following demands:
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