Police in the tiny Gulf State of Bahrain fired teargas shells and stun grenades to deter protesters from marching toward the Pearl Square in the center of capital Manama on Tuesday to mark the first anniversary of the uprising which was crushed by Bahraini rulers with military support from neighboring Saudi Arabia.
Protesters, mostly Shia Muslims, took out marches from villages on the outskirts of Manama, with youth trying to reach the Pearl Square, the focal point of last year's pro-democracy protest. Chanting "down with (King) Hamad" they marched from Sanabis, Deih and Jidhafs on the western neighborhood of Manama, despite police warning that protests would be dispersed, reports quoting witnesses said.
The Coalition of the Youth of February 14th Revolution, a hardline group that operates separate from the political opposition led by Al-Wefaq, had vowed to reach the square whose monument was demolished by the rulers after the mid-March crackdown.
At least 60 people have been killed in last year's political turmoil fueled by the Arab Spring uprisings that swept North Africa and the Middle East overthrowing despotic rulers in Algeria, Egypt and Libya.
Even though the Sunni-dominated government had promised political reforms following last year's unrest, very little had been done. The Opposition says the government is not doing enough to fulfill the promise. The country's Shia majority was also complaining about discrimination at the hands of the Al Khalifa Sunni royal family.
King Hamad Bin Isa al-Khalifa last month had initiated few steps to address some of the protesters' demands by announcing constitutional reforms intended to lead to greater accountability. He had also ordered the rebuilding of demolished Shia mosques and the reinstatement of those who had lost jobs. But the Opposition and human rights groups say little is being done to curtail powers of country's security forces.
An independent inquiry set up by King Hamad after growing international condemnation of human rights violations had confirmed excessive use of force and systematic torture of prisoners in detention by security forces.
The strategic island nation in the Persian Gulf is also the home of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet.
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