Bahrainis Protest on National Day · Global Voices
Mohamed Hassan

December 16 and 17 are official holidays in Bahrain. The first day is National Day and the second is to celebrate the accession of King Hamad. Unofficially, December 17 is also Martyrs’ Day – a day to remember the scores of victims who have lost their lives over the years as Bahrainis continue to struggle for their political rights. While many celebrated, this year, others took to the streets to protest as turmoil continues to rock this restive Arab state.
On Twitter, Sayed Hassan shares this photograph from a protest in Sanabis.
He tweets:
Protesters carrying a banner that reads: “Martyrs Day, Awareness and Giving” [published by @SanabisNews on Twitter]
@WLEXT: People Marching in Sanabis village a few minutes ago
Minutes later, photojournalist @MazenMahdi tweeted that he is being arrested from Sanabis:
@MazenMahdi: Police arresting me #Sanabis #Bahrain
Mahdi was released two hours later – and left to walk back to his car in the rain.
@MazenMahdi: Released from police station media card not returned after being marched with police for hand-over, allowed to walk back in rain to my car
In the village of Boori @Feb14Media tweeted a picture of another protest:
A night protest in Boori. Photograph shared by @Feb14Media on Twitter
The Twitter account, which has been tweeting news of protests and political developments in Bahrain since the start of the uprising in Bahrain on February 14, 2011, explains:
بوري : انطلاق مسيرة غاضبة على الرغم من تساقط الأمطار
@Feb14Media: Boori: An angry protest erupt despite the rain
wahat_almaameer also tweeted pictures of another protest in the village of Maameer.
Female protesters marching through the village of Mameer, photo published by @wahat_almaameer
المعامير/رغم الأجواء الباردة وتساقط الأمطار احرار المعامير يخرجون في مسيرة غاضبة تأكيدا على الصمود
@wahat_almaameer: Mameer: Despite the cold weather and rain the free people of Mameer go out in an angry protest to affirm their resilience
In Karannah village, KarranahNews tweeted a video of a protest that took place in the village:
And in the village of Wadyan, in Sitra, @wadyanmedia tweeted a video of yet another protest:
Human rights activist Maryam Alkhawaja tweeted several pictures [GRAPHIC] of injuries that occurred after police attacked protests today in Bahrain saying:
@MARYAMALKHAWAJA: #BahrainNationalDay: the two who were shot in the eye have lost their eyesight.. These r the type gifts ppl of #bahrain r used to..