Yesterday marked six years since the beginning of Bahrain’s so-called February 14 revolution, its own interpretation of the “Arab Spring”.
Inspired by events in Tunisia and Egypt, protests erupted in the nation’s capital of Manama in February 2011. A month of demonstrations calling for democratic reforms in the Shia-majority nation, which has been ruled for many years by the Sunni Khalifa family, was brutally suppressed by security forces.
On the sixth anniversary of the uprising, many Bahrainis apparently returned to the streets of the capital and neighboring Shia-majority villages to remember the “martyrs” of the 2011 demonstrations. The Hindustan Times reports that protesters were once again met with stun grenades and tear gas.
The “Coalition 14 February” Facebook page shared images of this week’s protests in different areas of the nation, as well as tear gas allegedly fired by the authorities.
Meanwhile, many used the hashtag #AsPromised on social media to reaffirm their commitment to the aims of the uprising, six years on. The human rights situation in the country has little improved in this time, with Human Rights Watch reporting a deterioration during the second half of 2016. Three Shia political activists were executed in January this year, in a move which was condemned by the United Nations.
We will continue #AsPromised. Revolutionary march in the town of #Samaheej as a renewal of committment on the sixth anniversary of the revolution.
ست سنوات مضت على انطلاق ثورة #14_فبراير في #البحرين ولا زالت الانتهاكات مستمرة الى هذه اللحظة !! #على_الوعد
#bh14feb#Bahrain pic.twitter.com/0XUxW6UQ4u— الحريةللشيخ حسن عيسى (@almaidaan1) February 14, 2017
Six years have passed since the beginning of the #February14 revolution in #Bahrain and the violations continue. #AsPromised
February 14 2011, and the following day, took on particular significance when one young man was killed by a rubber bullet, and another by a shotgun blast. Many on social media also took the opportunity yesterday to remember these protesters who were killed half-a-dozen years ago this week:
Sixth anniversary of the martyrdom of the 21 years old Ali Mushaima#14Feb 2011 #Bahrain #على_الوعد pic.twitter.com/CdSAlbUJmm
— Sara (@SaronaSoso) February 14, 2017
الحكاية لم تنتهي لدى من ينتظرون العدالة #على_الوعد #bh14feb #الشهيد_علي_المشيمع #الشهيد_حسين_الجزيري #البحرين pic.twitter.com/mpIRrf8s9u
— ebtisam Alsaegh (@ealsaegh) February 14, 2017
The story has not ended for those awaiting justice #AsPromised #bh14feb #TheMartyrAliMushaima #TheMartyrHusseinAlJazeeri #Bahrain
This anniversary comes as Bahraini opposition al-Wafa'a Islamic Party announced in a statement last month that it is turning to armed resistance in an attempt to achieve its demands.
"We in al-Wafa'a declare that we have started a new phase. We have one hand in the streets and the other on the trigger," the party's leader, Sayed Morteza al-Sanadi, said.
"For six years we have been adhering to peaceful methods ... For six years we have been appealing to the whole world and in return we got nothing but tears," Sanadi added.
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