Thursday, February 17, 2011

Bahrain Funeral Draws Protesters as Violence in Libya Spreads

From Bloomberg Business

Protesters in Bahrain gathered for the funeral of two men killed by security forces, calling for democracy and the fall of the government as unrest in the Middle East spread to Libya where 20 were reported dead in clashes.
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Yesterday’s deaths came after the army fired teargas, buckshot and rubber bullets at a crowd of protesters gathered at the Pearl Roundabout in Manama calling for a constitutional monarchy and a change of government in the Shiite-majority country ruled by Sunni royals. Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the focus of the demonstrators’ demands, has held the office for four decades.
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“They started firing from the bridge without any warning, then they started firing from their cars,” said Hussein Ali, 42, who was at a rally site at 3 a.m. yesterday when security forces arrived. “There were women and children in tents. I saw cars running over tents. It was terrifying, a nightmare. Small children and women were falling over.”
And:
Demonstrators in Libya, ruled by Muammar Qaddafi for more than 40 years, yesterday demanded the government’s overthrow. At least 20 people were reported killed in confrontations with security forces as violence broke out during marches yesterday in five Libyan cities, according to the Associated Press, which cited an opposition website and an anti-Qaddafi activist.

The deaths were in the second- and third-largest cities, Benghazi and Beyida, according to Al Arabiya television. There is an absence of independent reporting due to Libya’s tight press restrictions and activists used the Internet and social media to call for yesterday’s “Day of Anger” rally. Qaddafi has ruled since 1969 while tolerating no dissent.

The anger intensifies within the region, in each country, and in the hearts of every oppressed individual. When all is said and done, Egypt and Tunisia will seem completely bloodless in comparison. No one seems done, here. No one..

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