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Stringer / Reuters
Anti-government protesters give victory signs to riot police as they arrive during a protest held in downtown Manama on Saturday.
MANAMA, Bahrain -- Bahrain expelled two American rights activists Saturday after police used teargas and stun grenades to break up a protest Saturday that tried to march toward the roundabout at the center of a failed pro-democracy uprising last year.
The activists had come as part of a group called Witness Bahrain which says it wants to observe events on the eve of the February 14 anniversary of protests led mainly by the Shiite majority for democratic reforms in the Gulf Arab state.
"Huwaida Arraf and Radhika Sainath arrived in Bahrain in the last few days and obtained tourist visas upon arrival at the airport," a statement from the government's Information Affairs Authority said.
"However, once in Bahrain, they declared their intentions to join demonstrations in order to report on them. Arraf and Sainath were picked up at an illegal demonstration in Manama this afternoon."
A statement by Witness Bahrain said the women, human rights lawyers, were put on a London-bound plane on Sunday morning after taking part in a peaceful demonstration.
Amnesty: Tear gas used on Bahrain protesters kills
"The two women are part of the Witness Bahrain initiative, which arrived in Bahrain in response to a call by Bahraini democracy activists for international observers," the organization said. "Huwaida was dragged away by numerous security forces after sitting on the ground."
"Though their visit was brief, the activists will be returning with firsthand experience of the lengths to which the Bahraini regime will go to suppresses dissent and prevent the world from finding out about the brutality of its security forces," the organization said.
Bahrain has been in turmoil since the democracy movement erupted last year, followed by months of violence between riot police and teenagers that has worsened in the past two months.
Bahrain escaped heavy censure from the United States, which regards Bahrain as a key ally in its conflict with Iran. The U.S. Fifth Fleet is based in the island kingdom.
US moves embassy staff in Bahrain to avoid clashes
Demonstrations, sometimes organized by leading Shiite opposition party Wefaq with government approval, have multiplied as the February 14 anniversary of the uprising approaches.
Some rights activists and journalists were denied entry to Bahrain last month and a member of the team from Japan's NHK television said Saturday they had been prevented from entry at Manama airport. Officials were not available for comment.
The government said last week it denied visas to some journalists because of an overflow of visa requests.
Egypt's military rulers, meanwhile, have began legal action against Americans and Egyptians for activities with non-government organizations that they say was not legal or authorized.
Dreams of Pearl
Two groups of several hundred activists gathered at different points in Manama's old market area Saturday afternoon in an apparent effort to dupe riot police who were scattered through the district, before suddenly marching toward the roundabout, now renamed al-Farouq Junction.
Security forces maintain a tight guard on the junction, which has remained blocked to traffic, to stop protesters returning.
PhotoBlog: Bahrain protesters clash with police after funeral
"To the roundabout, to the roundabout," chanted protesters, led by prominent rights activist Nabil Rajab. Behind them, police using megaphones warned the crowd that the march was unauthorized and they should disperse. Police then fired teargas and stun grenades at the march.
Riot police then seized Arraf, a Palestinian American who campaigns for non-violent protest by Palestinians. It was not clear when Sainath was detained.
Police used stun grenades and teargas after a scuffle between women protesters and police over Arraf's arrest. Police also cornered Rajab to stop the march reforming.
"This proves to everybody that peoples' spirit is still alive and coming back, and we're not going to go away," he said.
Bahrain to citizens living abroad: Spy on countrymen, no protests permitted
Youth protesters in Shiite villages have also clashed with security forces, throwing petrol bombs and iron bars and blocking roads with burning tires.
Activists say at least two people have died in police custody in the past month and others have died from apparent effects of teargas, taking the total dead since February 14, 2011 to over 60. The government disputes the causes of death.
Sunnis rally
In a sign of the division tearing at Bahraini society, Sunnis organized an alternative rally in Manama while Shiites were protesting not far away.
Gathering at the al-Fateh mosque for a rally led by pro-government cleric Sheikh Abdul-Latif Al Mahmood, they said they were worried the Al Khalifa family-led government would give in to Wefaq's demands for parliament to form the cabinet.
They said Shiites were using violence for political gain.
"We want to send a message to the government that we are against the terrorism and the government should listen to us as well," said a housewife who gave her name as Nour.
"We are afraid. Bahrain was a land of peace, where we didn't lock our doors at night and women would go out without fear of anybody," said Hala Ahmed, a doctor.
They said Sunnis were moving out of some districts because of the continuing clashes between police and youths.
Asked if he could agree with the opposition demand for a Western-style parliamentary democracy, Nader Mohamed said: "In the long run, yes, why not? But not in the current situation."
Bahrain's Sunni rulers have given parliament some more powers of scrutiny over ministers and budgets, but are resisting opposition demands that the elected parliament be given the power to approve cabinet appointments.
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Msnbc.com staff and Reuters contributed to this report.
Leave a Comment:
Better to be deported than imprisoned and tortured. Could have easily been labeled agitators or equivalent and treated quite harshly. I look at this deportation as a civilized government response, relative to the rest of the region.
Yes and try coming to the USA on a tourist visa and protesting against the US govt. your vacation will end very quickly. I mean really thereis no country on the planet that will allow agitating and protesting by foreigners even if your father is transportation secretary Ray Lahood.
They were probably so nice because (besides the whole cabinet connection thing) they've already done their damage. If those annoying little citizens get all uppity again on a large scale the government will happily call in the Saudis for a second round of atrocities and assorted fun.
...but better still to have leaders that actually address problems instead of just steamrolling them. Bahrain clearly won't get that without a big bloody revolution.
So Game Kid...what problems do you suggest have any citizens of Bahrain so desperate that they must take to the streets to protest? How has the Kingdom and the Royal Family there abused or caused grief for their Citizens?
Sunni rulers hardly forming less than 15 percents have been importing Pakis and giving them citizenships. Shiites are treated as slaves.
Why anyone will demonstrate in streets?
Are there any good dictators, especially Sunni ones?
Go ask the thousands killed, wounded and arrested. You might also ask them why the US turns a blind eye to this dictator while whining about Al Qaeda in Syria being killed by Assad.
The Devil: slight exaggeration in your hysterical rant, 18 were killed during the last year of demonstrations - half to 2/3 killed by security forces the rest killed in a cross-fire when demonstrator's opened fire on security forces.
The Devil...so basically you don't have a clue of what has transpired in Bahrain either? So why comment?
Lets see...Ray Lahood is Obama's man, his appointee. Lahood's daughter, a lawyer, goes to Baharain and is involved in fomenting a riot and is deported. There is no doubt this woman was shielded from arrest and prosecution because of her father's position.
These demonstrations are supposed to be a popular uprising of the people against the tyranny of their government. And, yet we have two American Civil Rights Lawyers right in the middle of it. That puts our thumb print on the riot.
Are you talking about Egypt? Ray Lahood's son in Egypt?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/06/egypt-ngo-trial-sam-lahood_n_1257432.html
Not "our" thumb Bill. It is the thumb of liberal idiots that are affiliated with the obama regime. They are the same sorry cowards that are trying to destroy America.
Why is that only Saudi rulers, oil companies and their lobbyists in the US should win always?
We saw that in Iraq.
Beastly and bigoted Saudis and their Sunni puppet rulers marched their armies into Bahrain.
But the Saudi agents like UN, human rights groups and others did not worry about human rights all the other crap associated with whom they don't like.
Syria's Assad is far a better ruler than all the Sunni bigoted despotic rulers.
But it is Syria's Assad, who becomes all the "world's" target!
First of all its impossible to get citizenship in Bahrain - you must be native born - you can immigrate as a worker only- they do not offer naturalization for immigrants. Average income of a citizen of Bahrain is $2,000,000, yep their life truly sucks
To Ternan,
First of all you don’t know what hill is going on. It’s very easy to get citizenship in Bahrain, in the last 10 years the Radical government of Bahrain gave citizenship to so many Sunni, Pakistanis, Indians, Jordanians and many other nationalities, just so they can keep-up with numbers of the Shie citizen. That’s one of the main reason why the true citizen of Bahrain the Shie are protesting for the last one year. The goverment are giving citizenship left and right.
Huwaida Arraf and Radhika Sainath. These people are identified as Americans? Americans?
Some Americans have foreign-language names. Some of them are even *gasp* Muslims. Muslims!
Don't be so closed-minded.
That was my thought Joe.....probably only using the name "american" just to start trouble, and throw the blame over here than some where from the middle east. doubt if even from here.....such upstanding people they are
Oh,I get it if their names aren't Smith or Jones.You don't figure they should be American right.
They are not Americans - they live in the US but are not citizens - you know your allowed to research topics you have no clue about
To Ternan,
They are American Citizen you stupid!!!!
These arrogant and wacky Americans want to get involved in the political affairs of other countries. Too bad they weren't shot. Now they'll be some sort of cult hero's for wackos.
I agree
Look at it this way. If Iranian activists planned demonstrations or disruptions in this country, we'd deport them, too. Why doesn't our government just stop allowing travel to these unstable countries? It is because we don't believe in limiting citizens' freedoms. If some fool wants to go to a hotbed of unrest, it is their a $$, not ours. However, they should always be aware they may not be welcomed there and will be subject to the laws of those countries while they are there. Any country that issues a visa to an American may have an ulterior motive in allowing that American into their country.
Surely you jest. They would get ObamaCare, free college, and a trip to the White House to kiss Obamas ring.
Another excellent point
I don't think the US government gets it. They don't want our style of democracy, they just finished with a government like ours where 1% of the population controls the 99%. They are now looking for a type of government that treats all citizens as equals, not a government that is controlled by money. We need to ban US citizens from interferring in the building of a Bahrain government by their citizens. The US has its own major problems where money is used to control our government and courts and our love of endless wars.
Gary, I am very happy to know that you are so miserable. People with your type of mindset deserve to miserable. It was the optimists that built this country and made it strong, in spite of lazy do-nothings like yourself.
Do these yardsticks apply to Syria and Iran too?
this is all about obama and group destabilizing every stable GVT in the middle east and replacing them with radical extremist Islamist like the Muslim brotherhood just as they have done in Egypt and Tunisia
I think should have thrown them in jail and then thrown away the key.
Hillary should invade right away ?
"the lengths to which the Bahraini regime will go to suppresses dissent and prevent the world from finding out about the brutality of its security forces," the organization said.
These are tolerable as Saudis, oil companies and their lobbyists certify that these Bahrain Sunni rulers are acceptable.
If anyone, who is talking of human rights, democracy, civil rights, secularism and so on still support barbaric, despotic and bigoted Sunni rulers like those of Saudis, Kuwaitis and some more then we are looking at the world upside down.
In that case, at least keep away from Syria, Iran and other ME problems to have some crediblity.
Let them solve their own problems.
They should just have shot the scum.
"They should just have shot the scum."
I agree,but the protestors don't have weapons to be able to shot the police.
Those idiots shout about their constitutional rights as they were dragged way. Getting only deported..they got off easy.
Another Islamic state to avoid at all costs. Islam is all about control and the iron fist. If they don't govern this way the populace doesn't seem to be able to control themselves, then they riot, then the riot gets put down by the "big daddy" or Muhammad working through his deciples on earth the dictators. If this makes any sense please explain it. Is this genetic or a intergenerational phenomenon?
The White House agrees.
The WH is occupied by an extremist radical islamist
Ship them to Gitmo…
Once people from here go to another country to protest, we should Slam the door on them and not let them back into the country. Then let them fend for themselves.
This is what our country should do when illegal immigrants demorstrate here, pick them up and ship them back home.
Nonsense. Free college, ObamaCare, amnesty, and kiss Obamas ring at the White House.
Good for Bahrain. Why should a sovereign country put up with liberal looser trouble makers. They were cordial, Iwould have had them shot like the pieces @!$%# they are. Get a job protester loosers
"Good for Bahrain. Why should a sovereign country put up with liberal looser trouble makers. They were cordial, Iwould have had them shot like the pieces @!$%# they are. Get a job protester looser."
That's how I feel when I hear about us condemning Syria.
Stupid Idiots - But, they got their moment of fame. Still haven't figured out why this story is even news-worthy.
LiFe&LiBeRtY.defender
Yes and try coming to the USA on a tourist visa and protesting against the US govt. your vacation will end very quickly. I mean really thereis no country on the planet that will allow agitating and protesting by foreigners even if your father is transportation secretary Ray Lahood.
No country on the planet except for the bleeding heart USA you mean?
Hundreds of thousands "20 million" of illegal Mexican invaders waving their own flags in our American streets chanting that they have "re-acquired" the United States with zero repercussions comes to mind.
I think you need to rethink that statement dude because it couldn't be further from the truth.
We have the bleeding heart liberals to thank for that one.
ok
rich ha
This is what our country should do when illegal immigrants demorstrate here, pick them up and ship them back home.
Exactly, although I think a bit more harsh of punishment would be required to keep them from coming back.
Hopefully they didn't send them back here. We already have enough people living in lice infested tents.
Activists my ass! Throw those idiot agitators out and keep them out. Try this crap in the US and you are screwed as you should be.
Huwaida Arraf and Radhika Sainath two Radical Muslims.
It's amazing to see that far right wingers not only hate the US president and the majority of our citizens, but have enough bile left over to hate foreigners who want a more popular government as well.
Sign of the times. Man dominating man to his own injury and critical times hard to deal with, will be here. That just means that the country of Bahrain does not allow freedom of speech. And of course, freedom of religion like here. But of course, they don't want to admit to that. If they are restricting that, then that sends a message.
We have no need of these people.How are they Americans?They are not.STOP immigration[Legally they are right?]