Ed. note: This post chronicles a very bloody day for the #feb14 protest movement in Bahrain. We posted several updates throughout the day, so I’ve changed the original title of the post.
Twitter is blowing up right now with reports that Bahrain authorities are firing into a crowd of thousands that is assembled for the funeral of those killed in yesterday’s crackdown.
This could be a massacre underway.
UPDATE: This is really happening, folks. From Twitter user Muiz: “Hospitals not reporting wounds to body or arms, almost all are to the chest & head – live ammo from the ground & air”
From Al Jazeera English’s Evan C Hill: “Our correspondent in #Bahrain reports live ammo, not birdshot, not rubber bullets, being used on protesters. #feb17″
From AP reporter Hadeel al-Shalchi:
“Protesters were carrying flowers saying they wanted to deliver it to police. Were shot instead. Blood on street now #bahrain”
“Protesters reached the #lulu square, sat down and army shot into them again #bahrain”
UPDATE II: Bahrain is close geostrategic partner with the United States. In 2011, and with the United States lead by a Noble peace prize winner, can the USA really remain a strategic ally with a country that massacres its own people like this? This may be the last gasp of a soon to be deposed king. Good riddance.
UPDATE III: Some video of the first video from today’s crackdown. Via Crowd Voice.
UPDATE IV: This video was just posted to Crowd Voice. It is hard to tell what’s happening. But it appears the people in uniform in the background are shooting into the foreground.
UPDATE V: The New York Times reports what several people tweeted hours ago. That bullets reigned down onto protesters from helicopter buzzing overhead.
Government forces opened fire on hundreds of mourners marching toward Pearl Square Friday, sending people running away in panic amid the boom of concussion grenades. But even as the people fled, at least one helicopter sprayed fire on them and a witness reported seeing mourners crumpling to the ground.
Meanwhile, it seems that a hospital has become ground zero for both the protesters and a police force determined to crack heads. Nick Kristof is tweeting from inside the hospital. “Police attacking protesters here at hospital in #Bahrain. Tear gas inside. Panic…Panicked crowds running thru hospital after police attack. Drs rushing to ER. Tear gas grenades outside, wafting in.”
Just listen to the desperation in the voice of this doctor.
UPDATE VI: From Amnesty International
Original post: My list of top Bahrain Twitter users reacted with horror to yesterday’s police raid on Pearl Square. Hundreds of protesters were peacefully assembled there, when in the middle of the night and without warning, police shot up the place. Five people were killed. Scores injured. Nicholas Kristof reports that doctors were beaten who tried to help the injured.
This seems to be right out of the playbook of the gone and unlamented Hosni Mubarak (remember the camel riding thugs?) and Tunisia’s Ben Ali (whose forces also opened fire on protesters). Like before, the Bahrain government seems to only have energized the masses further.
Crowdvoice’s Human Rights Crackdown in Bahrain is a must visit site for images and videos of the bravery of protesters set against brutality and depravity of Bahrain’s security forces.