Opposition supporters in Bahrain have held protests for a third straight day, calling for more rights and for the prime minister to step down.
Wednesday’s demonstrations passed without incident, in contrast to earlier in the week when two people were killed during crackdowns by riot police.
Bahrain’s interior minister said those involved in the killings have been arrested.
In a television address on Tuesday, King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa vowed to investigate the deaths.
Some demonstrators are calling for the ouster of the king, while all are demanding the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, who has been in power for nearly 40 years.
Protesters also want a new constitution, more representation in parliament, more jobs and housing and for political prisoners to be released.
Most of the people participating in Bahrain’s demonstrations have been Shi’ite Muslims, who represent about 70 percent of the country’s population, but say they are treated like second-class citizens by the ruling Sunni minority.
A Bahraini national who only wanted to be known as S.Y. says many Bahrainis are aggravated by the division of wealth in the country.
"This divide that we have between the people that live in the villages and the people who live in these villas, these beautiful villas, and work in banks and studied in England and America, this has got to stop," said S.Y. "This has got to end. We are a quarter of a million people and you don’t know what’s happening down the road from you. It’s absolutely disgusting."
Bahrain is one of several Middle Eastern nations experiencing unrest in the wake of the recent uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.
Director of Research and Development at the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, Theodore Karasik, says it is impossible to predict when the regional tensions will begin to ease.
"I liken this to a tsunami sweeping the region and it is of historical proportions," said Karasik. "I don’t think it is going to go away anytime soon. And as Egypt progresses in the coming weeks and months, that will have reverberations across the region too. We’re in a new order now."
Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, and Washington has expressed concern over the recent violence in the Gulf kingdom.
A U.S. State Department spokesman urged Bahraini authorities to follow through on promises to investigate the two killings as soon as possible.
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These Wahabi dogs have leaved in luxury and have no notion on how to govern a country. Their corrupt life style and wasteful, inept government has failed the people and its time for them to go back ridding their camels.
16-02-2011Omar Iqbal
(Iran)
Throughout the Arab world, change is happening around us for the better. Stand up for what you believe in and help overthrow these radical scum. Down with Ahmedinijad
16-02-2011Rayna
(world)
POWER TO THE PEOPLE ALWAYS
16-02-2011Joe
(world)
Ok. Did anyone else sing the Manamana song when they heard the capital name? Oh shame on me.
16-02-2011
There is nothing 'square' about the Pearl ROUNDABOUT in Bahrain. It's a traffic circle.
16-02-2011Malik
(Canada)
Peoples revolution! what happened in Tahriri Sqaure has inspired millions of Arab to stand up and pull down the dogmas and idealogy that has enslaved their mind and spirit! For the People and by the people.......no more or less than this!
16-02-2011Charles
(USA)
We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…
16-02-2011John Keohane
(Canada)
The old adage that"Religion and Nationalism are the curse of Humanity"is certainly true.I think George Shaw said that?
16-02-2011Abbas Alwishah
(Iraq / USA)
It’s time for the people voices to be heard loud and clear, these kings should back their bags and leave now before they will be become Saddam, Hosin, and Benali. Kings no longer exists in real world, let this be a lesson learned don’t wait another day King Hamad your time has expired and your 401K will kick in now until your last day.
16-02-2011Matt
(USA)
Ester: Why are you so against the country's leaders. I have been there and it is very open society. There is freedom of religion, drink alchool, and watch movies. Everyone who is rich wants to stay rich and remain in power.
16-02-2011
hahahaha this is all going to end in violence. these are not Jeffersonian democrats out there. they are Shiite Muslims. the end will be a theocracy and less rights when they started
16-02-2011ART
(Colombia)
FINALLY, The more opressed the worst the revolt will be. Enough is enough, let RELIGION out of the gobernment, and politics based on service to the PEOPLE not the the rulers or the rich. This are the BEST of times for the middle east
16-02-2011Thinking Aloud
(RP)
The Middle East Region is changing. Let us just hope that with these changes, their CITIZENS and NATIONALS will benefit. Corollary,BLACK GOLD Price should head downwards for the benefit of the entire world.
16-02-2011Ethioman
(u.s.a)
I hope this uprising spread to East Africa where the dictator Ethiopian leader reside.
16-02-2011Ben R. Rodriguez MS
(Chile)
Too many dollards are being used to support these illegal wars, if we total the cost to date of Iraq, Afghanistan, and the under cover actions in Yemen, plus Africa's several sites, Somalia, Sudan --( The new oil play ) at the potential limits zone.) very soon the five sisters will need the Army, Airforce, Marines and Navy to attain control over these new sectors. What Credit Card or even Fuel Card will carry the cost.. Wethink and we wonder.
17-02-2011Merlin
(USA)
Each of those "five sister's" has a well armed and trained Al Qaida group in its borders. South Sudan has oil that will interest US and EU. What cost is freedom? I suppose the same credit card we'll be using to pay for Obamacare and our debt.
17-02-2011sheeba
(india)
Bahrain is a nice country, and the king family have been doing a lot in this last 10 yrs as i know. freedom, is always there, Bahrain is a rich country and always gives dinars free to its people at times. I love bahrain and the ruling King and his party -Good luck King of bahrain =thank you for defeating the protests
17-02-2011mohd
(india)
Bahrain is a very good country in all GCC. The people here
are well educated except for few, only those are illiterate go for bad of the country. The King & all his men are good. hope everything goes well soon. Good Luck to King Hamad & his country.
17-02-2011Rudy Haugeneder
(Canada)
America has had dozens of protests that resulted in change:
1964 - New York City 1964 race riot, July,1965 - Watts Riot, August 1965, (Los Angeles), 1968 Democratic National Convention riot, Chicago, Illinois, etc. etc.
1969 - Days of Rage, Oct. 1969, (Chicago, Illinois), 1970 - Kent State shootings, May 1970, (Kent, Ohio etc., etc., etc.
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