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Facebook-Powered Protesters Take Aim at Bahrain [Updated]
First came Tunisia. Then Egypt, Yemen, and Jordan. One of the next Middle Eastern regimes to get hit with protests just might be the tiny kingdom of Bahrain, according to an analysis from a government-connected consultancy.
In Bahrain, activists are using Facebook to try and to organize their own “Day of Rage” set for February 14. In a statement on their page, organizers accuse the government of “suppress[ing] the legitimate rights of the people” and call for a new constitution and investigations into “economic, political and social violations.” Bahrain, a Gulf kingdom ruled by the Sunni Al-Khalifa family, has seen anger at systematic discrimination against the majority Shia population and its lack representation in government spill out into violent protest in the past.
“Tensions between the country’s [Sunni] royal family and the Shia majority could provide a flashpoint for new demonstrations,” according to an analysis prepared on Feb. 2 by the Eurasia Group, a consulting firm with does work for the U.S. intelligence community and others. “Protests would present a more serious risk than unrest in previous years.”
Today, hundreds of protesters turned out for protests at the Egyptian embassy in Bahrain, professing solidarity with anti-Mubarak forces and calling for reforms at home. But the Day or Rage protest looks somewhat smaller — only 84 likes on its Facebook page — and it’s unclear how many protesters will show up on February 14.
In Bahrain, activists are using Facebook to try and to organize their own “Day of Rage” set for February 14. In a statement on their page, organizers accuse the government of “suppress[ing] the legitimate rights of the people” and call for a new constitution and investigations into “economic, political and social violations.” Bahrain, a Gulf kingdom ruled by the Sunni Al-Khalifa family, has seen anger at systematic discrimination against the majority Shia population and its lack representation in government spill out into violent protest in the past.
“Tensions between the country’s [Sunni] royal family and the Shia majority could provide a flashpoint for new demonstrations,” according to an analysis prepared on Feb. 2 by the Eurasia Group, a consulting firm with does work for the U.S. intelligence community and others. “Protests would present a more serious risk than unrest in previous years.”
Today, hundreds of protesters turned out for protests at the Egyptian embassy in Bahrain, professing solidarity with anti-Mubarak forces and calling for reforms at home. But the Day or Rage protest looks somewhat smaller — only 84 likes on its Facebook page — and it’s unclear how many protesters will show up on February 14.
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