Hundreds of Thousands of Bahrainis Mark Revolution Anniversary

Local Editor

Hundreds of Thousands of Bahrainis rallied Friday near the capital to mark the second anniversary of the revolution against the ruling al-Khalifa family.

The demonstration was held on the Budaiya highway, which links several villages with the capital, Manama. It was organized by Bahrain's main opposition bloc al-Wefaq.
Waving national flags, protesters chanted "Down with the dictatorship!" as they were led by Sheikh Ali Salman of al-Wefaq.

They also held funeral services for the latest victim of the regime's crackdown on protest; the teenager Hussein al-Jaziri who was shot dead on Thursday after security forces attacked anti-regime protesters in the village of Daih.
Witnesses said Saudi-backed Bahraini forces used tear gas and sound bombs to disperse the Friday protest. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Bahrainis held mass anti-regime rallies also on Thursday coinciding with the actual anniversary of the start of the revolution on February 14, 2011.

Meanwhile, Bahrainis say they will continue holding demonstrations until their demands for the establishment of a democratically-elected government and an end to rights violations are met.

This comes as officials announced the death of a Bahraini police officer during clashes with anti-regime protesters near the capital, Manama.

 Bahrain's Interior Ministry reported that the officer died late on Thursday after he was hit by a petrol bomb during overnight clashes in a village near Manama.
"Police officer Mohamed Atef, hit by an incendiary device which seriously injured him, died soon after he was admitted to hospital," said Public Security Chief Major General Tariq al-Hassan.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org