Bahrain: Police Break Up Protests
The Washington Post reports:
A swelling anti-government protest that had drawn thousands to the heart of this country's financial district was broken up Thursday in a predawn raid by police who used tear gas, clubs and rubber bullets to clear the crowd.
At least two people were killed, and protesters said others were critically injured. There was no official word on casualties from Bahrain's authorities.
Hours later, tanks rumbled into Manama as Apache helicopters flew overhead. Military vehicles and police blocked roads, and some areas were cordoned off with barbed wire. In what longtime observers said was turning into an unprecedented crackdown here, the Bahraini national security council met and declared a state of emergency.
The authorities declared the emergency "just to clear them, to force them to go back to their houses," a Bahraini government official said, referring to the protesters. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the matter.
The raid took place hours after protesters gathered here in Bahrain's capital to demand greater political freedoms and more jobs. Some had escalated their demands to include the ouster of Bahrain's prime minister, a member of the royal family who has served for nearly 40 years, and even an end to the al-Khalifa monarchy.
The crackdown followed one earlier this week that left two demonstrators dead and prompted an apology from King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa.
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