Peaceful protesters killed in Bahrain today

[JStone]

Bahrain Activist’s Hunger Strike Belies Image of Calm Ahead of Formula One Race

Two weeks before Bahrain is scheduled to hold a prestigious international motor race, the kingdom’s attempts to project an image of calm were shattered on Friday when the police fired tear gas at thousands of protesters in the capital, Manama. As The Associated Press reports, the security forces dispersed marchers demanding the release of a leading rights activist, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who has been on hunger strike for 58 days.

The Bahrain Grand Prix Formula One race, which was canceled last year amid concerns about a crackdown on dissent, is supposed to begin on April 20, under the banner, “Unified: One Nation in Celebration.”

Mr. Khawaja, the jailed founder of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, was one of eight opposition leaders sentenced to life in prison by a special security court for “plotting to topple the government” of the kingdom through pro-democracy demonstrations.

The activist’s lawyer told Reuters that his client was moved to a military hospital and fed intravenously on Friday after his health deteriorated sharply.

Late Thursday, Mr. Khawaja’s daughter, Zainab, was arrested outside the interior ministry clinic where he was being held. Several brief video clips shot surreptitiously by activists driving past the ministry building captured what they said was Ms. Khawaja’s voice, as she shouted “baba” — Arabic for “papa” — to her father inside.

Bahrain Activist's Hunger Strike Belies Image of Calm Ahead of Formula One Race - NYTimes.com

I wouldn't think muslimes would name their daughter Zainab given the scandalous history of the name: Zainab was muhammad's daughter in law whom he married after his adopted son divorced Zainab, which caused outrage even among his own people who viewed it as a form of incest. Islimic history tells about how muhammad was sexually attracted to Zainab. Good thing a message from allah arrived conveniently, as it always did, saying the marriage of muhammad to his former daughter in law was halal.

 

[High_Gravity]

Bahrain Activist’s Hunger Strike Belies Image of Calm Ahead of Formula One Race

Two weeks before Bahrain is scheduled to hold a prestigious international motor race, the kingdom’s attempts to project an image of calm were shattered on Friday when the police fired tear gas at thousands of protesters in the capital, Manama. As The Associated Press reports, the security forces dispersed marchers demanding the release of a leading rights activist, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who has been on hunger strike for 58 days.

The Bahrain Grand Prix Formula One race, which was canceled last year amid concerns about a crackdown on dissent, is supposed to begin on April 20, under the banner, “Unified: One Nation in Celebration.”

Mr. Khawaja, the jailed founder of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, was one of eight opposition leaders sentenced to life in prison by a special security court for “plotting to topple the government” of the kingdom through pro-democracy demonstrations.

The activist’s lawyer told Reuters that his client was moved to a military hospital and fed intravenously on Friday after his health deteriorated sharply.

Late Thursday, Mr. Khawaja’s daughter, Zainab, was arrested outside the interior ministry clinic where he was being held. Several brief video clips shot surreptitiously by activists driving past the ministry building captured what they said was Ms. Khawaja’s voice, as she shouted “baba” — Arabic for “papa” — to her father inside.

Bahrain Activist's Hunger Strike Belies Image of Calm Ahead of Formula One Race - NYTimes.com

I wouldn't think muslimes would name their daughter Zainab given the scandalous history of the name: Zainab was muhammad's daughter in law whom he married after his adopted son divorced Zainab, which caused outrage even among his own people who viewed it as a form of incest. Islimic history tells about how muhammad was sexually attracted to Zainab. Good thing a message from allah arrived conveniently, as it always did, saying the marriage of muhammad to his former daughter in law was halal.

I didn't think they really cared too much about incest, marriage among first cousins is prevalent even in this day in that part of the world.

 

[High_Gravity]

Bahrain Violence Grows With Mob Attacks

MANAMA, Bahrain — Mobs with iron rods and sticks ransacked a supermarket belonging to a major Shiite-owned business group Wednesday, a company official said, as part of a spike in violence in the Gulf nation in retaliation for a bomb attack on police.

The attack appeared linked to a wave of reprisals and intimidation by suspected Sunni groups angered by the 14-month-old uprising by Bahrain's Shiite majority seeking to weaken the powers of the kingdom's Sunni monarchy.

The growing unrest, which has included vigilante-style attacks in some Shiite areas, also could escalate worries by Formula One teams about whether to participate in the April 22 Bahrain Grand Prix. The race was called off last year amid security fears and Bahrain's leaders are pushing hard to bring back the event as a sign of stability in the island nation.

Amir Jawad, a board member for the Jawad Business Group, said the mob smashed windows and caused other damage to the supermarket in what he called a "systematic" series of attacks. The crowds also roamed outside the headquarters of the company, which owns supermarkets, cafes and fast-food outlets.

Jawad said company security guards detained at least two suspected attackers. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

"The vigilantes used iron, steel and wood sticks," he said.

Jawad sites have faced sporadic vandalism since the uprising began in February 2011 in the strategic Gulf nation, which is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. Bahrain's Shiites account for about 70 percent of the population, but they claim they face widespread discrimination and are kept from top government or military posts.

Nearly 50 people have died in the Arab Spring's longest-running street battles. Apparent Sunni mobs have stepped up reprisals following a blast Monday that injured seven policemen. On Tuesday, Bahrain said four suspects had been arrested in connection with the blast.

In some Shiite areas, apparent Sunni hard-liners carrying knives and sticks staged hit-and-run attacks late Tuesday and set up roadblocks, said witnesses, who spoke on condition of anonymity in fear of receiving pressures from authorities.

The largest Shiite political group, Al Wefaq, claimed that security forces failed to confront the "militias."

In Egypt, a prominent Bahraini activist was barred Wednesday from entering the country upon the request of a security agency, an airport official said.

Nabeel Rajab is the second Bahraini activist to have difficulties coming into Egypt in recent weeks. Pro-democracy groups say authorities have been cracking down on networking between regional activists.

Bahrain Violence Grows With Mob Attacks

 

[Urbanguerrilla]

Bahrain Violence Grows With Mob Attacks

MANAMA, Bahrain — Mobs with iron rods and sticks ransacked a supermarket belonging to a major Shiite-owned business group Wednesday, a company official said, as part of a spike in violence in the Gulf nation in retaliation for a bomb attack on police.

The attack appeared linked to a wave of reprisals and intimidation by suspected Sunni groups angered by the 14-month-old uprising by Bahrain's Shiite majority seeking to weaken the powers of the kingdom's Sunni monarchy.

The growing unrest, which has included vigilante-style attacks in some Shiite areas, also could escalate worries by Formula One teams about whether to participate in the April 22 Bahrain Grand Prix. The race was called off last year amid security fears and Bahrain's leaders are pushing hard to bring back the event as a sign of stability in the island nation.

Amir Jawad, a board member for the Jawad Business Group, said the mob smashed windows and caused other damage to the supermarket in what he called a "systematic" series of attacks. The crowds also roamed outside the headquarters of the company, which owns supermarkets, cafes and fast-food outlets.

Jawad said company security guards detained at least two suspected attackers. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

"The vigilantes used iron, steel and wood sticks," he said.

Jawad sites have faced sporadic vandalism since the uprising began in February 2011 in the strategic Gulf nation, which is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. Bahrain's Shiites account for about 70 percent of the population, but they claim they face widespread discrimination and are kept from top government or military posts.

Nearly 50 people have died in the Arab Spring's longest-running street battles. Apparent Sunni mobs have stepped up reprisals following a blast Monday that injured seven policemen. On Tuesday, Bahrain said four suspects had been arrested in connection with the blast.

In some Shiite areas, apparent Sunni hard-liners carrying knives and sticks staged hit-and-run attacks late Tuesday and set up roadblocks, said witnesses, who spoke on condition of anonymity in fear of receiving pressures from authorities.

The largest Shiite political group, Al Wefaq, claimed that security forces failed to confront the "militias."

In Egypt, a prominent Bahraini activist was barred Wednesday from entering the country upon the request of a security agency, an airport official said.

Nabeel Rajab is the second Bahraini activist to have difficulties coming into Egypt in recent weeks. Pro-democracy groups say authorities have been cracking down on networking between regional activists.

Bahrain Violence Grows With Mob Attacks

Al Jazeera's Bahrain documentary wins award

Bahrain : Explosion targeting mercenaries Formula 1

 

[Urbanguerrilla]

The Bahrain dictatorship were using facebook to intimidate and round up opponents, many of whom were tortured and murdered by police death squads

Shiite mosques torn down

Obama: 'When people yern to be free, the US listens...', except when its a US ally.

 

[High_Gravity]

The Bahrain dictatorship were using facebook to intimidate and round up opponents, many of whom were tortured and murdered by police death squads

Shiite mosques torn down

Obama: 'When people yern to be free, the US listens...', except when its a US ally.

I have to agree with you there, Bahrain is definently being ignored. To be fair though anyone using Facebook to make negative comments about the goverment in any country in the Middle East will be round up and treated the same way.

 

[High_Gravity]

Bahrain Gran Prix: F1 Race Takes Off Despite Protests And Increased Security

MANAMA, Bahrain — Under heavy security, Bahrain's embattled leaders toasted the return Sunday of the coveted Formula One Grand Prix even as riot police used armored vehicles to virtually seal off opposition strongholds and fight hit-and-run clashes in the Arab Spring's longest-running street battles.

The contrasts put the Gulf kingdom's divisions in stark relief: The Sunni rulers basking in the F1 glamour at the desert circuit while security forces imposed lockdown tactics against Shiite neighborhoods at the heart of the more than 14-month-old uprising.

The heavy security appeared to choke off the large-scale demonstrations of recent days that have embarrassed Bahrain's Western-backed monarchy, which lobbied hard for the race's return as a symbol of stability. Smaller clashes, meanwhile, flared in some areas with police firing tear gas and stun grenades.

But the presence of the race itself – canceled last year because of unrest – raised questions among rights groups and others about Western tolerance for Bahrain's crackdowns and whether F1 organizers overlooked the island nation's political upheavals in favor of their close ties with Bahrain's rulers.

In many ways, Bahrain remains the outlier of the Arab Spring.

Its ruling dynasty has been spared serious pressures from Western allies because of its strategic role as home of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet – the Pentagon's main regional counterweight against Iran – and its extremely close bonds with neighboring Saudi Arabia, which now keeps troops in Bahrain.

Bahrain's Sunni rulers also have framed the fight as a pro-Western stand against Iranian influence. They claim Shiite giant Iran is pulling the strings with Bahrain's majority Shiites. They account for about 70 percent of Bahrain's more than half million citizens but are mostly excluded from positions of power.

Bahrain Gran Prix: F1 Race Takes Off Despite Protests And Increased Security

 

[High_Gravity]

Bahraini Court Orders Retrials for Activists

CAIRO — A Bahraini court on Monday ordered retrials for a political activist who has been on a hunger strike for nearly three months and 20 others who were convicted by a military tribunal for their participation in protests last year against Bahrain’s ruling monarchy.

The activists, including some with life sentences, were not released pending the new trials. The official Bahraini news agency said the court that would hear the appeal would reconsider “the proceedings from the beginning.”

Bahrain, a close American ally, promised broad reforms after its harsh crackdown on months of protests last year, protests that focused attention on the ruling dynasty’s stranglehold on political life, torture of dissidents by the authorities and the Sunni minority’s dominance of the country’s Shiite majority. Up to 70 people have been killed since the protests broke out in February 2011.

Despite the promises of reform and some improvements, human rights advocates say the monarchy has resisted fundamental change, failing to hold senior officials to account or to release activists imprisoned on politically motivated charges. In some cases, the authorities have simply adjusted, rather than ended, their abusive tactics, advocates say, and unrest has continued.

In a report released Sunday, Human Rights Watch said that Bahraini police officers were still beating and torturing detainees, months after the kingdom recruited high-profile police officials from London and Miami to reform the security services. The group said it had interviewed 14 males, including several teenagers, who said they were arrested and beaten for participating in protests.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/01/w...rial-for-jailed-activists.html?ref=middleeast

 

[High_Gravity]

Bahrain protest leaders appear in court for retrial

(Reuters) - Bahrain began a civilian trial of 13 protest leaders on Tuesday but adjourned the session because hunger striker Abdulhadi al-Khawaja and another defendant were too ill to attend, lawyers and witnesses said.

Last week the Gulf Arab state's highest appeals court ordered a re-trial after a military court convicted the men last year of using violence in protests led by majority Shi'ites in an effort to topple the Sunni monarchy.

But the court did not release the protest leaders or cancel their original convictions, despite calls from international rights groups for their unconditional release.

Eight of the 13 who had expressed support for turning Bahrain into a republic are serving life sentences. One man was released last week and seven others are abroad or in hiding.

"The lawyers asked that they be allowed to talk to their clients," said Khawaja's lawyer, Mohammed al-Jishi, after Tuesday' hearing. "I said I had not been able to see Abdulhadi for a month. I can't defend him if I can't talk to him."

Two of the accused were absent, Khawaja and Sheikh Mirza al-Mahroos, who prosecutors said were both in hospital, Jishi said. The judge adjourned the case to May 22 to allow the two men to attend and lawyers to see their clients.

"I don't know how they will bring him (to court)," Jishi said of human rights activist Khawaja, a Bahraini-Danish national who has been on hunger strike for three months.

Bahrain protest leaders appear in court for retrial | Reuters

 

[JStone]

Bahrain protest leaders appear in court for retrial

(Reuters) - Bahrain began a civilian trial of 13 protest leaders on Tuesday but adjourned the session because hunger striker Abdulhadi al-Khawaja and another defendant were too ill to attend, lawyers and witnesses said.

Last week the Gulf Arab state's highest appeals court ordered a re-trial after a military court convicted the men last year of using violence in protests led by majority Shi'ites in an effort to topple the Sunni monarchy.

But the court did not release the protest leaders or cancel their original convictions, despite calls from international rights groups for their unconditional release.

Eight of the 13 who had expressed support for turning Bahrain into a republic are serving life sentences. One man was released last week and seven others are abroad or in hiding.

"The lawyers asked that they be allowed to talk to their clients," said Khawaja's lawyer, Mohammed al-Jishi, after Tuesday' hearing. "I said I had not been able to see Abdulhadi for a month. I can't defend him if I can't talk to him."

Two of the accused were absent, Khawaja and Sheikh Mirza al-Mahroos, who prosecutors said were both in hospital, Jishi said. The judge adjourned the case to May 22 to allow the two men to attend and lawyers to see their clients.

"I don't know how they will bring him (to court)," Jishi said of human rights activist Khawaja, a Bahraini-Danish national who has been on hunger strike for three months.

Bahrain protest leaders appear in court for retrial | Reuters

Let's just destroy these arab countries invented after WW I and start all over without them.

 

[High_Gravity]

Bahrain protest leaders appear in court for retrial

(Reuters) - Bahrain began a civilian trial of 13 protest leaders on Tuesday but adjourned the session because hunger striker Abdulhadi al-Khawaja and another defendant were too ill to attend, lawyers and witnesses said.

Last week the Gulf Arab state's highest appeals court ordered a re-trial after a military court convicted the men last year of using violence in protests led by majority Shi'ites in an effort to topple the Sunni monarchy.

But the court did not release the protest leaders or cancel their original convictions, despite calls from international rights groups for their unconditional release.

Eight of the 13 who had expressed support for turning Bahrain into a republic are serving life sentences. One man was released last week and seven others are abroad or in hiding.

"The lawyers asked that they be allowed to talk to their clients," said Khawaja's lawyer, Mohammed al-Jishi, after Tuesday' hearing. "I said I had not been able to see Abdulhadi for a month. I can't defend him if I can't talk to him."

Two of the accused were absent, Khawaja and Sheikh Mirza al-Mahroos, who prosecutors said were both in hospital, Jishi said. The judge adjourned the case to May 22 to allow the two men to attend and lawyers to see their clients.

"I don't know how they will bring him (to court)," Jishi said of human rights activist Khawaja, a Bahraini-Danish national who has been on hunger strike for three months.

Bahrain protest leaders appear in court for retrial | Reuters

Let's just destroy these arab countries invented after WW I and start all over without them.

I been to Bahrain, it was actually a pretty nice country, they had booze, good women, lax dress standards, hell I saw a blonde Russian lady with her whole ass showing from under her skirt, my damn jaw dropped. However this was about 10 years ago before all this bullshit started.

 

[JStone]

Bahrain protest leaders appear in court for retrial



Bahrain protest leaders appear in court for retrial | Reuters

Let's just destroy these arab countries invented after WW I and start all over without them.

I been to Bahrain, it was actually a pretty nice country, they had booze, good women, lax dress standards, hell I saw a blonde Russian lady with her whole ass showing from under her skirt, my damn jaw dropped. However this was about 10 years ago before all this bullshit started.

Point taken, although, the same opportunities are available on the Lower East Side of NY and they have excellent kosher delis there too.

 

[High_Gravity]

Let's just destroy these arab countries invented after WW I and start all over without them.

I been to Bahrain, it was actually a pretty nice country, they had booze, good women, lax dress standards, hell I saw a blonde Russian lady with her whole ass showing from under her skirt, my damn jaw dropped. However this was about 10 years ago before all this bullshit started.

Point taken, although, the same opportunities are available on the Lower East Side of NY and they have excellent kosher delis there too.

Oh the US is definently a better place to live than Bahrain, as far as Arab countries though Bahrain is one of the better ones, definently better than Kuwait or Saudi Arabia.

 

[JStone]

I been to Bahrain, it was actually a pretty nice country, they had booze, good women, lax dress standards, hell I saw a blonde Russian lady with her whole ass showing from under her skirt, my damn jaw dropped. However this was about 10 years ago before all this bullshit started.

Point taken, although, the same opportunities are available on the Lower East Side of NY and they have excellent kosher delis there too.

Oh the US is definently a better place to live than Bahrain, as far as Arab countries though Bahrain is one of the better ones, definently better than Kuwait or Saudi Arabia.

Lebanon and Beirut *used to be* beautiful. Beirut was the Paris of the ME and the Christian Lebanese viewed themselves as European, def. not Arabs. To be called an Arab was taken as an insult

 

[High_Gravity]

Point taken, although, the same opportunities are available on the Lower East Side of NY and they have excellent kosher delis there too.

Oh the US is definently a better place to live than Bahrain, as far as Arab countries though Bahrain is one of the better ones, definently better than Kuwait or Saudi Arabia.

Lebanon and Beirut *used to be* beautiful. Beirut was the Paris of the ME and the Christian Lebanese viewed themselves as European, def. not Arabs. To be called an Arab was taken as an insult

Lebanon went to hell when they started letting in all those Palestinian refugees, than the whole dynamics of the country changed. Iran was also nice during the Shah's time.

 

[JStone]

Oh the US is definently a better place to live than Bahrain, as far as Arab countries though Bahrain is one of the better ones, definently better than Kuwait or Saudi Arabia.

Lebanon and Beirut *used to be* beautiful. Beirut was the Paris of the ME and the Christian Lebanese viewed themselves as European, def. not Arabs. To be called an Arab was taken as an insult

Lebanon went to hell when they started letting in all those Palestinian refugees, than the whole dynamics of the country changed. Iran was also nice during the Shah's time.

Lebanon used to be 80/20 Christian/Muslim; today, it's maybe 20/80. It's no coincidence that Lebanon's fortunes have taken a decided turn for the worse.

 

[High_Gravity]

Lebanon and Beirut *used to be* beautiful. Beirut was the Paris of the ME and the Christian Lebanese viewed themselves as European, def. not Arabs. To be called an Arab was taken as an insult

Lebanon went to hell when they started letting in all those Palestinian refugees, than the whole dynamics of the country changed. Iran was also nice during the Shah's time.

Lebanon used to be 80/20 Christian/Muslim; today, it's maybe 20/80. It's no coincidence that Lebanon's fortunes have taken a decided turn for the worse.

Lebanon is basically an Iranian state a Hezbollah strong hold.

 

[High_Gravity]

Bahrain Protesters Decry Unity Plans With Saudis

Tens of thousands of protesters chanting "Bahrain is not for sale" jammed a major highway Friday to denounce proposals for closer unity between the unrest-torn Gulf kingdom and neighboring Saudi Arabia.

The rally's large turnout — demonstrators stretched for more than five kilometers (three miles) along a main highway — underscored the strong backlash to efforts by Bahrain's rulers to integrate key policies such as defense and foreign affairs with their powerful Saudi neighbor.

Riyadh has aided Bahrain's embattled Sunni monarchy with troops and money during the island nation's 15-month uprising.

Leaders for Bahrain's majority Shiites call the unity proposal a sellout of the country's independence and an effort to give Saudi security forces a stronger hand in crackdowns in the strategic island kingdom, which is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.

Gulf Arab leaders earlier this week delayed any decisions on seeking greater unity among members of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council. Some members, such as the United Arab Emirates, also have raised questions about whether closer GCC cooperation would give too much power to Saudi Arabia.

Crowds streaming along a highway outside Bahrain's capital Manama on Friday chanted slogans, such as "No unity, no unity," and "Bahrain is not for sale."

Bahrain has been hit by near daily protests and clashes since the Shiite-led uprising began in February 2011 inspired by revolts in other Arab countries. Opposition groups seek a greater Shiite political voice in the Sunni-ruled nations. At least 50 people have died in the unrest in Bahrain, where a Saudi-led Gulf force came to the aid of the ruling dynasty last year.

Bahrain Protesters Decry Unity Plans With Saudis - ABC News

 

[High_Gravity]

Secret Clinics Tend to Bahrain’s Wounded

MANAMA, Bahrain — Three young men were slumped on a living room mat, groaning with pain from nuggets of birdshot lodged in a cheek, a forehead and under the lid of an eye.

Dr. Ghassan Dhaif, 46, and his wife, Dr. Zahra al-Samar, were jailed last year for treating protesters. “They’ve destroyed the health services in the whole country,” Dr. Dhaif said.
Bahrain’s nightly protests had exacted their reliable toll.

Friends dragged the men away from the clashes and the riot police, to a safe house nearby. Soon, it was time to go, but not to a hospital: the police were there, too. “No one goes to the hospital,” one protester said.

Instead, the men traveled to one of dozens of houses that are scattered throughout this island nation, where a secret and growing network of caregivers — doctors, first-aid medics or people with no medical experience at all — wait daily for the casualties from the protests. The houses are not really field hospitals, but rather sitting rooms, often equipped with nothing more than bandages and gauze.

For the injured protesters, the houses have replaced the country’s largest public hospital, the Salmaniya Medical Complex, which has been a crucial site in the conflict between Bahrain’s ruling monarchy and its opponents since the beginning of a popular uprising in February 2011. Activists say that because of a heavy security presence at the hospital, protesters — or people fearful of being associated with Bahrain’s opposition — have been afraid to venture there for more than a year. That reluctance, officials and activists say, may be responsible for several deaths.

Last spring, the hospital became a symbol of the state’s repression, as the government arrested — and in some cases tortured — protesters, doctors and nurses for their involvement with the uprising. As its problems persist, Salmaniya has come to represent Bahrain’s dangerous impasse, marked by a growing rift between the country’s Shiite majority, which has long complained of official discrimination, and the Sunni political elite.

The authorities continue to prosecute Shiite doctors who worked at the hospital on charges including plotting to overthrow the government. Some of the doctors say their arrests represented a purge of Shiites, allowing the government to replace them with Sunni loyalists.

A report released Monday by Physicians for Human Rights says some of the current problems at Salmaniya stem from the conduct of security forces in the hospital and at its gates. People interviewed by the group said guards stopped arriving cars and questioned the passengers. They asked what village they were from, a way of telling whether someone was Shiite or Sunni.

People with physical injuries, including those possibly related to the impact of tear-gas canisters, are brought inside for additional interrogation. The report said that the hospital’s chief executive, Dr. Waleed Khalifa al-Manea, had urged the Interior Ministry, which oversees security at Salmaniya, to stop the practice.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/22/w...inics-tend-to-bahrains-wounded.html?ref=world

 

[High_Gravity]

Bahrain Police Battle Biggest Protests in Weeks

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Riot police in Bahrain fired tear gas and stun grenades Friday as tens of thousands of protesters staged the biggest anti-government demonstrations in weeks in the divided Gulf nation.

Opposition groups called for major rallies after a prominent rights activist, Nabeel Rajab, was placed back in detention earlier this week on fresh charges linked to his social media posts.

Bahrain has experienced near daily protests for 16 months caused by an uprising by the kingdom's Shiite majority seeking greater political rights from the Western-backed Sunni monarchy. At least 50 people have died in the unrest since February 2011.

There were no immediate reports of injuries from Friday's street battles, which left piles of burning trash and clouds of stinging tear gas in the western outskirts of the capital, Manama.

Bahrain's rulers have crucial support from neighboring Saudi Arabia, but are under pressure from their U.S. allies to reopen dialogue with Shiite opposition factions. A new government initiative for talks is expected to be announced next week. But main Shiite groups have already signaled that negotiations are futile unless the ruling dynasty agrees to give up its near total control of government affairs in the strategic island, which is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.

Earlier Friday, a defense lawyer said a court hearing is planned next week for an 11-year-old boy detained for allegedly taking part in the anti-government protests.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/06/08/world/middleeast/ap-ml-bahrain.html?ref=world